


The Quarantine Log

by BlackthornPyre4UrEnemies



Series: The Elsamaren Logs! [1]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Angst, Background Disney characters, Eventual Smut, Explicit Chapters Will Be Labelled In The Notes, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, Minor Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Minor Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel In The Epilogue, Minor Ryder Nattura/Moana, Mutual Pining, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:41:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 36,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23380378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackthornPyre4UrEnemies/pseuds/BlackthornPyre4UrEnemies
Summary: “In the week that they have been living together, they had settled into a comfortable routine, both being too busy at work with Elsa working days and Maren working nights to properly interact, which was completely fine with Elsa. However, the city announced news of a two-week lockdown to curb the spread of a growing virus outbreak, and now the two of them were stuck at home together. How was she going to survive the next two weeks?”Forced to spend 14 days in each other’s company, a closeted Elsa must confront her feelings for her new roommate, while the extroverted Honeymaren must find a way to bond with the reclusive blonde before she goes stir-crazy.A fic to help everyone cope with social distancing, not meant to make light of the pandemic. 14 chapters for 14 days of quarantine shenanigans! Hope to post in 'real-time', i.e., a chapter a day.
Relationships: Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Series: The Elsamaren Logs! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699342
Comments: 213
Kudos: 312





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> All characters mentioned, except Olaf, are adults of consenting age. Explicit chapters will be marked accordingly in the notes.  
> Please forgive the grammatical errors and occasionally awkward sentence structure. It’s a simple fic I thought I’d write to keep people’s spirits up. Will try to proof-read as much as I can. Also, this is a bit of escapism. It’s not meant to make light of the pandemic. So please stay safe, practise social distancing and support one another!

**Monday. 5.30pm.**

Elsa came through the front door and stumbled, tripping over something on the floor. She looked at the offending item and groaned.

“Maren!” she shouted.

There was no response. Sighing, she bent down to stow her roommate’s shoes away and headed to the kitchen counter to unload the groceries. Far from it being the first time she was nearly killed by the pair of sneakers, she really needed to have a word with Maren about being tidy. Honeymaren was generally a clean person and always responsible with her chores, but she wasn’t the most organised or tidiest of people. Then again, Elsa had impeccable standards. Perhaps she should learn to be more accommodating too. After all, having previously lived with Anna, any roommate was an improvement.

Elsa looked up from loading the cabinet with the newly-bought tinned goods and gasped. Honeymaren appeared in the kitchen at that moment, catching Elsa off guard. _Yes_ , she thought to herself _,_ giving the brunette a once-over, _living with her was definitely an improvement._

“Elsa! Shit!” Honeymaren gasped too, apparently surprised to run into Elsa. She hurriedly plugged out her earphones, and Elsa could hear the loud music blaring from it. “Sorry, didn’t hear you come home.”

A light pink tinge had coloured Honeymaren’s cheeks, and Elsa knew she was blushing too. Honeymaren was clad only in a sports bra and leggings, her flawless tan skin shining with a sheen of sweat and she was breathing hard, evidently having just completed a workout. Her toned abs was barely visible as she panted.

“Yeah, well...” Elsa replied, hating that she sounded a little breathless herself too, “the office decided to call it a half-day today, in view of the lockdown news, to give everyone time to prepare. Thought I should head to the grocery store to stock up for the next two weeks.”

“I see you managed to get some supplies,” Maren nodded, coming over to help Elsa with unpacking the groceries, “I headed out to the supermarket this morning too. Unfortunately, the racks were almost empty! It was nuts. I managed to pick up some bread and milk but Mattias and Halima needed bread too, so I gave ours to them.”

 _Ours_. Maren had said it so casually. And they were roommates, of course they were going to share bread. Just like everything else Elsa had bought. But all this, living with someone other than family, and sharing things and space and time with them, all this was new to Elsa. _God_ , she knew she was being ridiculous. Maren reached forward to pull a bag towards her and she was so close that Elsa could see how her eyes shone and her cheeks flushed from her exercise. Her act of kindness to their elderly neighbours was touching too. Elsa swallowed.

“I went to Oaken’s,” she explained, “it’s the grocery store beside my old place. Anna’s and Kristoff’s place now. I think not many people remember the independent stores at a time like this, and maybe also because it’s a little more expensive. But Oaken justified his pricing by saying there’s a ‘supply and demand’ problem. I was okay with it though, he’s an old friend and small businesses need our support.”

“Good thinking,” Maren grinned up at her, looking impressed. They were so different in the way they thought and the things they did and it always felt like Maren was so easily impressed by her.

“Aww, score! You got the jalapeno flavoured ones!” Maren exclaimed gleefully, attention pulled away by a bag of chips, “those are my favourite.”

“I know,” Elsa replied before she could stop herself, loving how Maren was so happy with the snack.

She internally cringed. She knew the red tinge had spread to her ears by now. _Great,_ now her new roommate was going to think she was a stalker.

“You do?” Maren asked, her tone slightly softer as she looked back at Elsa.

Her eyes widened in surprise but held none of the judgement that Elsa was expecting.

“Guess you learn a few things living with someone after a week,” Elsa tried to explain.

Maren returned her small smile with a chuckle, striding to the fridge.

“That you do,” she agreed, swinging the door open and rummaging inside, “my turn to show you my haul.”

She brought out the carton of milk she must have bought.

“Regular milk for our coffee and tea,” she explained, before placing it back and pulling out another carton, “chocolate milk for the crazy twenty-four-year-old who still needs it with her cereal.”

Elsa felt her stomach flip knowing that Honeymaren noticed that about her.

“Ha. Ha,” Elsa deadpanned, “speaking of weird eating habits… Here. Something we can agree on.”

She pulled out a jar from the last bag.

“A quart of Oaken’s lutefisk. Free of charge. For, and I quote, ‘good feelings in these dark times’”

Maren stared at the jar for a moment before meeting Elsa’s eyes, and they both burst into a fit of laughter. They were remembering the time Maren and Ryder had come to what was now Anna’s and Kristoff’s apartment for their housewarming party, and Elsa and the hosts had tricked the brother and sister into eating the gelatinous fish. Ryder had loved it, but Maren (like Elsa) hated it.

“I’ll find some way to pass it on to Ryder after the quarantine is over,” Maren said, as their laughter died down.

“Thank goodness for Ryder.”

Maren heartily agreed before downing a glass of water, Elsa surreptitiously looking on as her toned arm brought the glass down from her glistening lips.

“Well, I’m off for a shower,” she proclaimed, “then I’ll make dinner. Have you eaten?”

Elsa only managed a strangled whimper, for Maren was bending over to stow the glass into the dishwasher, her leggings tight over her firm behind.

She had to turn to see Elsa shake her head in reply.

“Great. Pasta good for you?”

“Uh-huh,” was all Elsa could say, her throat suddenly dry.

Maren gave her a winning smile and fortunately for Elsa, finally headed out of the kitchen, leaving Elsa with her thoughts.

This was not how she had envisioned her living situation when Anna had sheepishly come to her months ago to ask if she could move in with Kristoff. Kristoff had just graduated vet school and wanted to take the next step in their relationship. Elsa loved living with her sister, but she was happy for them, and being naturally extremely private she was actually looking forward to having the place to herself when Anna moved out. Unfortunately, the apartment hunt proved challenging as most of the places they found were too far away from Kristoff’s new workplace at the animal shelter, and so Elsa had selflessly invited Kristoff to live with them instead. She thought she could easily find a place she liked with her connections as an architect. Unfortunately, project after project piled up at work and she never got round to any proper apartment-hunting. Anna and Kristoff always made her feel welcome, but Elsa was getting rather sick of feeling like a third-wheel in the house and although they would never admit it, Elsa could see they needed their space.

It was pure coincidence that Kristoff’s new best friend at work was Ryder Nattura, an old family friend they had lost touch with. Anna and Elsa had spent some of their early childhood in their mother’s country home and were neighbours with the Natturas, who managed the local reindeer sanctuary. Anna and Elsa had spent many summers hanging out with Ryder and Maren, roaming around the woods that surrounded their homes and pretending the forest was enchanted. After their father had to move to Arendelle for work, the family sold the country home and lost touch with them for more than a decade.

Anna and Elsa were pleasantly surprised when Kristoff brought up his work friend one day and they learnt he was Ryder. The siblings were quickly invited for game night. When Elsa saw the beautiful woman Maren had become, she had to fight down her unexpected feelings. They had subsequently got on so well upon reuniting that it felt like they had known each other forever, despite having grown up apart. Besides, she had no clue how Maren felt. To the best of her knowledge, or in other words, from relentless social media ‘research’ by Anna, Maren had only one previous long-term relationship. And it was with a man. Elsa did not want to mess up this rekindled friendship – she had so few friends she let into her life.

On hindsight, knowing that what she felt for Maren wasn’t completely platonic, it was stupid of her to agree to move in with her. But like Kristoff, Ryder had moved in with his girlfriend Moana and had mentioned that Maren was looking for a roommate to help with rent now that he moved out. Almost too gleefully, Anna had asked Elsa if she was interested. That girl was too perceptive for her own good sometimes. Elsa had only agreed because she hated the all-knowing, smug look on Anna’s face and wanted to prove that _no_ , she did not see Maren as “more than a friend” (Anna’s words) and _no_ , she wasn’t ‘too uptight to expand her social circle’ (Anna’s words again). In the week that they have been living together, they had settled into a comfortable routine, both being too busy at work with Elsa working days and Maren working nights as a detective to properly interact, which was completely fine with Elsa. However, the city announced news of a two-week lockdown to curb the spread of a growing virus outbreak, and now the two of them were stuck at home together.

Shit. How was she going to survive the next two weeks?


	2. Day 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honeymaren's POV! POV will swap every chapter.

**Tuesday. 4.00pm.**

Her alarm went off and Maren reflexively slammed her hand down on the snooze button, switching the alarm completely off. No matter how tired she was, Maren took pride in her self-discipline and always woke up on the first ring. She didn’t even used to need an alarm, growing up in the countryside had left her with a finely tuned body clock. However, with the night shifts that her squad had been rostering her for, her sleep cycle was completely out of sync. With a groan she dragged herself out of bed, tossing her sleeping eye mask aside and blinking in the afternoon light.

Operating on instinct, she lumbered over to the toilet and took a quick shower, turning the temperature to high and trying to wash the weariness out of her muscles. She must have overworked them yesterday with her workout. Towelling herself dry, Maren moved the towel to her hair, squeezing the water out methodically as she exited the bathroom into the hall, heading back to her bedroom to get dressed for work, as was her routine.

“Oh my gosh!” came a squeak and Maren froze, finally fully awake.

She came face-to-face with her wide-eyed roommate, her face almost as white as her platinum blonde locks as she was confronted with Maren’s form in all her naked glory.

Maren yanked the towel off her hair with a yelp and hurried to cover herself.

“Sorry!” Elsa uttered, looking completely terrified as she scurried into her room and slammed the door.

_Shit, shit, shit!_ Maren inwardly cursed, feeling thoroughly embarrassed and foolish.

Up to that point she had been completely functioning on muscle memory and had forgotten that firstly, she did not need to go in to work today, and secondly, and in this situation more importantly, her roommate had not gone in to work today too. In the months that Ryder had moved out, Maren had taken full advantage of having the apartment all to herself and had not changed much of her habits when her roommate moved in. Elsa was always at work in the afternoons when Maren got ready for work and she never saw a need to bring her clothes into the cramped bathroom. Oh, how she regretted that now.

“So sorry, Elsa!” she called to the slammed door before hurrying back to her own room, unable to bring herself to wait for a reply.

She plopped herself on her bed and groaned. She needed to figure out a way to stop making a fool of herself in front of Elsa. Yesterday, with the pathetic admission of not being able to contribute anything to their two-week supply of groceries and now, with the prancing around the house in her birthday suit. If she was not careful, Elsa was going to think she was some kind of a freeloading hippie slob. Especially since Elsa always seemed so… elegant and put together.

The Arendelles had always been a very classy family. Even Anna, who in her most boisterous antics as a little girl had always carried an air of grace and charm. This was to be expected, given that they were descended from ancient nobility, and even had a city named after their family. But they were extremely humble too, and it was only because the Arendelles were confidential patrons of her family’s reindeer sanctuary that she knew they came from very old and very large sums of money.

It therefore came as a shock when Ryder had rung her up one day to say he had found her a roommate and that it was going to be Elsa. Why would an Arendelle need to share rent to afford an apartment? But she remembered Elsa’s and Anna’s small and cosy apartment and figured that the two sisters were not living off their parents, and her respect for them grew. Or maybe, just maybe, Elsa wanted some company. Specifically, her company.

She rolled her eyes and got up from the bed at that unlikely thought, pulling on a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. That girl had spent so much time cooped up in her room ever since she moved in, Maren wondered if she even noticed she had a roommate in the first place. Beyond sharing a meal together last night, and the occasional hallway pleasantries, she had hardly spoken much to Elsa the past week. Although it was mainly because both of them had incredibly long working hours, Maren also remembered a young Elsa to be extremely quiet and shy to strangers too. But Maren has seen that when she did warm up to someone, she could be very witty and playful. And sure, Elsa was friendly enough with Maren now, but she seemed equally as amiable with Ryder, and unreasonably that seemed to frustrate Maren.

Maren had been with her fair share of men and women, so she recognised the lust that had creeped into the feelings she felt for the beautiful blonde-haired woman her childhood friend had become. But she was determined to squash them, knowing how disastrous it was to get involved with someone she genuinely felt comfortable living with. Considerate, responsible and clean roommates were surprisingly few and far between in the big city. Besides, she didn’t even know if Elsa was into girls. There was annoyingly very few information about her online, the individual Arendelles owning no social media profiles except for an official family one that seemed to be run by their charity foundation. There were a few scattered tabloid articles about a certain Hans Westergaard of the Southern Isles that used to date one of the sisters, and given that Kristoff had been with Anna for so long, it did not make Maren feel particularly hopeful about Elsa’s sexuality.

Her stomach rumbled and Maren swallowed some saliva to try and quieten it. She was ravenous but she could not bring herself to head out to get some food, in case she ran into her roommate again. She guessed she would have to resort to fasting until her roommate went to sleep. It was going to be a long two weeks.

-

She had succeeded in whiling away a couple of hours ignoring her protesting stomach by answering her work emails and clearing her study table for the weeks ahead when she heard a tentative knock on her door.

“Come in,” she called, having no courage to face her roommate now but figuring that obviously any other answer would seem rude.

Elsa entered, looking anywhere but at her, as though afraid to catch her in a state of undress again. Maren wanted the floor to swallow her up then, as a flashback of the afternoon’s encounter rammed unwelcome into her mind at that moment.

“Elsa, look, I’m so sorry about just now. I completely forgot you were home.”

“It- it’s fine. Sorry to have …” Elsa faltered, as though realising she had no idea what she was apologising for.

“…seen you,” she finished weakly, her cheeks flushed red.

_Gods… so fucking awkward._

Elsa took a deep breath, gathering herself.

“I made dinner. If you’re hungry,” she finally met Maren’s eyes uncertainly, “I assume you haven’t eaten the whole day?”

_She noticed she noticed she noticed._ Maren could only hope she didn’t think she was avoiding her. Which was true. But still. Elsa didn’t need to know.

“Great, thanks!” she managed a smile, satisfied that her voice sounded normal, “yeah I’ve been so wrapped up in work I couldn’t think about being hungry.”

Which was kinda true in that Maren was forcing it to be true. But then her stomach chose that moment to give out an obscenely loud rumble. Maren wanted to stab herself in the gut. She could not catch a break.

Elsa bit her lip obviously trying to hold in a smile, and it was really adorable.

Giving up, Maren laughed and Elsa joined her softly.

“Well, I guess that’s the signal that the work day’s over, lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the wonderful feedback guys! They were really encouraging and funny :D


	3. Day 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dwelling a bit into Elsa's past here, gotta warn you there'll be some mild angst and homophobia.

**Wednesday. 6.15pm.**

“How come cops don’t have to go to work?” Anna questioned over the phone, “I hardly think the criminals are going to respect the quarantine rules.”

Elsa laughed, agreeing. She had asked Maren that during one of their dinners.

“She isn’t one of the uniformed cops anymore,” she explained, as she wedged the phone between a shoulder and her ear so she could manoeuvre the plug of the hoover into the socket, “she’s been promoted to detective.”

Maren had taken a break from her work to exercise out on the balcony, and Elsa had taken the opportunity to do one of the noisier chores- hoovering. The machine whirred to life.

“Dammit, Elsa, can’t you do that when I’m not on the phone with you? How are you going to hear what I have to say?”

“You’re loud enough,” Elsa retorted.

She had a second motive too for choosing to hoover when Anna called. She knew Anna was going to pry and poke her nose where it doesn’t belong, and Elsa absolutely didn’t want Maren to catch wind of any it.

“You hoover way too much. You don’t have a shedder like Sven anymore in your home. What even are you cleaning?”

Sven barked in the background at the sound of his name. Elsa ignored her question, eager to get back to talking about Maren.

“Anyway, the detectives have split themselves into two teams. One on active cases and one on paperwork. If the quarantine stretches for more than two weeks, they’ll switch. Honey just closed a gruelling months-long homicide and was already planned for HR-mandated desk duty for recuperation, so they put her on the telecommuting team.”

Elsa stopped her hoovering as she realised her slip. Anna caught it though. Of course she did.

“Honey?” she practically squealed, “Honey??!!”

“Oh, come on,” Elsa tried to sound nonchalant, but knew her panic seeped through, “you know that’s her name.”

“Yeah but we _never_ called her that. Not even when we were kids.”

“So? We call Ryder ‘Ry’. It means nothing.”

“Okay, okay, if you say so,” Anna conceded, in a sing-song voice with barely contained mirth, “I’m just glad you are getting along well enough to call her your ‘honey’. It’s only day three and Kris is driving me up the wall.”

“Kris? Kris! You call Kristoff 'Kris' too!” Elsa countered, a little desperately.

“My point exactly.”

“Gods above, Anna!” Elsa groaned, frustrated at herself for falling into that trap so easily.

And to think she was usually the one with the witty comebacks. The hoover stuttered as it caught the corner of a rug in Elsa’s distraction.

“She. Is. Not. My. Honey!” Elsa choked out through clenched teeth, each word accentuated by a tug on the stuck hoover.

“Who isn’t?” came a voice from behind her and Elsa swerved round.

“Nobody.”

Maren was leaning up against the balcony door, arms folded across her chest as she looked over at Elsa. She was in a zipped hoodie and leggings this time, to counter the cold bite of the outdoor balcony, her skipping rope slung casually over a shoulder. Evidently overheating from her workout, she had half-unzipped her hoodie upon entering the heated living room, and one side of it was sliding off as she leaned against the door, to reveal her sports bra and a bare shoulder. With the golden evening sun backlighting her, she was positively glowing. The hoover had completely jammed up and the sound died down. Or perhaps it was the ringing in Elsa’s ears that was drowning everything out.

“Nobody what? What’s happening?” came Anna’s tinny voice from the small speaker on the phone, “Is that Maren? Hiiii!!!”

Maren quirked a brow at the phone.

“Anna?”

Elsa nodded, defeated. Maren fixed her hoodie and waved her away, coming over to take the jammed hoover out of Elsa’s hands.

“Go finish your call, I’ll sort this out, tell Anna I said Hi.”

Elsa smiled at Maren gratefully. Anna heard Maren too and shouted over the phone loud enough for Maren to catch it.

“Thanks Maren! My sis and I have lots to catch up on!”

Elsa rolled her eyes as she sulked off, Maren chuckling behind her.

“Okay that was cutting it a bit too close,” Anna admitted as she heard Elsa’s bedroom door close.

“You think?!” Elsa complained, only to hear her sister giggle.

“I’m sorry! I just think you two would be cute together, that’s all.”

Elsa sighed.

“Please Anna… don’t. I think Maren could be a very good friend.”

“Yeah, and Kristoff is still my best friend. What’s your point?”

“It’s just that… she’s… gosh Anna, she’s amazing. She’s kind, and funny, and tough, but so generous…”

“Not to mention hot.”

“Yeah but that’s not the point, you see she’s –“

“So you agree?”

“What?”

“You agree she’s hot?”

Elsa groaned. Anna got her twice. In one day. It must be some kind of a record.

“Okay, sis, here’s the deal,” Anna continued, her voice all-business, “Friends don’t call each other ‘hot’.”

“Anna, this friendship could become something precious. I don’t want to ruin it.”

“I know. Elsa, I know. Granted, she could be a great friend. But you know what, with the way you’re feeling, you’re never going to be satisfied until you figure out if it could be something more.

“And gods above, you, of all people deserve that something more. I know it’s hard. I know after everything you’ve been through this is not going to be easy for you. And yeah there’s a chance it won’t work out and you’ll get hurt. But I promise you I’m always going to be here for you no matter what. And if it _does_ work out, trust me, sis, it is so _. w_ orth. it.”

Elsa teared at her sister’s earnest words, knowing how true they were. Three years ago, on the summer Elsa returned home from university, she was determined to no longer live a lie and come out to her parents. She had struggled with her sexuality throughout her teenage years, closing everyone off and spiralling deeper into her depression as she tried to figure out her identity. Her parents did not help, pushing back whenever they sensed she was deviating somewhat from her family’s conservative, traditional values. That summer, when she finally came clean with her parents, she received the iciest response. Her father especially, was in complete denial. And much to Anna’s indignation, her mother remained passive and noncommittal about the issue altogether. To be fair, everyone was a bit distracted with the multiple events surrounding Olaf, and then Hans happened. But never one to disappoint her father’s high and exacting standards, Elsa got the message and never brought up her sexuality again. Her parents response made her utterly embarrassed at her irresponsibility. Her family had a duty. They had a reputation to uphold. They were of royal blood. Old royal blood, anyway. And the people looked up to them. Only some did, anyway. But Elsa understood. She understood what her father and her family needed from her and resigned herself to a lifetime of singlehood, ending her coming out journey as abruptly as she had started it. Anna refused to give up though, she had embraced Elsa with her whole heart and had spent the last three years relentlessly trying to get Elsa to open herself to love and their parents to open themselves to Elsa. Elsa didn’t always agree with Anna, but she would forever be grateful for her.

Besides, her parents are back in Northuldra now, having handed over the reigns of their charity foundation to Anna to retire and completely focus on raising their much younger brother Olaf, who has special needs. At an estate as remote as Ahtohallan, Elsa doubted news of anyone she was dating would ever reach them.

“Elsa…?”

Elsa jerked out of her thoughts, realising that her sister was still on the line.

“Yes, Anna. I-I think you’re right.”

“Eeeee!!!” her sister squealed, and Elsa could hear her jumping up and down in excitement.

“Okay, great. So eleven days left to your quarantine. Eleven days to work your magic.”

Elsa could almost hear the cogs turning dangerously in Anna’s head and desperately tried to grind them to a halt.

“No, Anna, no. Don’t even start with all that scheming. For one thing… we don’t even know if she… you know, likes women.”

“Trust me, the way I’ve caught her staring at you, she- ”

“No, we are not going to base anything off your so-called observations. I don’t trust your overactive imagination.”

“Fine, fine! But Kristoff thinks she has a thing for you too, and he considers himself a _love expert_.”

“One time! I called myself that one time!”

Elsa chuckled as she heard Kristoff’s distant protests. Anna mulled over the problem a bit more and Elsa decided enough was enough.

“Okay Anna I’ve given you what you wanted to hear, now would you just let it rest for now?”

“Urgh, fine. But if you don’t want me to meddle, you’ve got to make an effort yourself okay? Don’t get stuck in your head, you big nerd.”

“No promises.”

“Promise me, Elsa…. Elsa? Elsa!”

Elsa cut the phone off, chuckling. It was fun to leave Anna hanging. Especially after all the teasing and tricks Anna had played on her in that phone call.

Elsa took a deep breath and headed back out to the common living space. Right. Make an effort.

She found Maren in the open kitchen, jacket completely off now as she stood by the stoves, stirring a pot.

“Making a stew for dinner, if that’s okay with you?”

“Sounds great,” she smiled, and after catching a whiff of what was boiling, added, “smells great too.”

She stood by the kitchen island, admiring Maren’s toned back. Normally when she had nothing to say in a situation like this, she would have pretended to have come to the living space to get something and returned to her room. Maren was always the one who started conversations, and she made it seem so easy. But now she was too focused on her stew to entertain Elsa.

Make an effort.

“Anything I can help with?”

“Yeah, could you sort out the bread?”

Her gaze remained fixed on the stew, one hand flung behind her to point in the general direction of the freezer.

“Sure,” Elsa smiled lightly, feeling more relaxed.

Maren probably did not notice how big a step this was for Elsa, and Elsa figured it really wasn’t a big step. To Maren all her past roommates or even colleagues at her precinct were probably more helpful and chatty. But Maren didn’t know that in her youth Elsa had gone days on end without speaking to anyone.

She liked that about Maren. About how she had a sure presence about her that made Elsa feel calm. How she didn’t need to say anything to make Elsa feel welcome. How she never seemed to judge and was always so open and… warm.

And how she was so confident in her own skin that she could still hold a normal conversation with Elsa after what happened yesterday. If Maren had caught _her_ naked (not like she would _ever_ step out of the bathroom naked, alone or not), she would have probably locked herself in her room for how ever long the lockdown was going to be.

And _oh gosh_. Anna was right. She couldn’t help it, but the image of Maren’s lithe form, all tan and muscular and smooth and slippery, was seared into her mind forever. She could not just remain friends with this woman. She had to push further. How ever much Maren let her.

“So…” Elsa began, closing the oven door over the toasting bread, “do you have things to work on this evening?”

“Nope. Finished my paperwork for the day, painful as it was, and got my body clock reset to humane hours last night. So now I am finally all set to lead a normal existence.”

“Right. You… wanna catch a movie or something later? Lots of great stuff’s been uploaded on Netflix and I just got Disney +.”

And there it was. That crooked smile as Maren cocked her head to her side to study her. Maren never seemed to judge, but there was a pleasant curiosity in her gaze as she watched Elsa open up. It made her feel all fuzzy and excited at the same time. It was confusing to be able to grab Maren’s attention with something so simple, and the feeling was so very addictive.

“Sure,” she replied simply, her smile widening as she saw Elsa smile back.

Cutting a few more slices of carrots into the pot, Maren cut a last slice, letting it balance on her knife as she brought it dangerously close to her mouth. Her tongue darted out and delicately flipped the carrot into her mouth.

“See ya later,” she said as she munched, closing the pot and heading off for a shower.

 _That was hot._ Elsa swallowed, wondering if she could still feel her legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for Elsa making an effort! Would Maren notice though?  
> With the shifting POV I kinda wanted to show that Maren's a bit of a romantic and Elsa is just... very horny. (Knowing what you know now, can you blame her?)  
> Thanks for the feedback and have fun!


	4. Day 4

**Thursday. 3.00am.**

“What the hell?” Maren groaned as she woke up abruptly.

She squinted at the clock beside her. It was 3 am in the morning. Who in the world was singing at 3 freaking am in the morning?

The melodious voice lifted again into a rousing chorus and Maren realised it was coming from her living room. She wondered if Elsa had turned the television on again.

Curious, she padded out towards the living room, like a hoodwinked sailor drawn to a siren. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight before her.

Elsa was hunched over in the chaise lounge by the window, her arms cradling a sketchpad against her knees. The full moon was casting a bright glow over her, and it was evidently bright enough for Elsa to work on her sketch. Maren had never seen her with her hair down before, and in the moonlight it seemed to shimmer, and she looked almost ethereal. She was in a tank top and shorts, unusual attire given that it was a cold spring night, and her alabaster skin was stark in the current lighting. Maren was certain she had never seen a more beautiful woman in her life.

She was singing, and her voice was equally as beautiful, holding a certain kind of tragic vulnerability in the low notes that rose with strength and raw power as she climbed up the scale. She was singing a song from the movie they had just watched, an animated sequel to the Danish Snow Queen classic. It had been released early on Disney+ in light of the virus pandemic. Maren marvelled at her incredible memory for melody and lyrics. Her eyes were bright in her focus on her artwork, a small smile danced on her lips as she sung. Maren had never seen Elsa more at ease and free. It was a little haunting and unsettling in the best way, and Maren could not look away.

_It’s like she isn’t even real_ , she thought to herself.

She must have said that out loud for Elsa suddenly paused, her head shooting up, like a deer caught in headlights. Her eyes found Maren’s.

“Honey?”

Maren’s heart skipped a beat. She had always hated that nickname. Because of it she was subjected to endless bullying growing up, but now, with the word so tenderly whispered by the woman before her, she realised it was all she ever wanted Elsa to call her.

“Maren.” Elsa added hastily, casting the sketchpad to the side as she turned her body towards Maren, though she was looking down shyly as she placed her feet on the ground. She corrected herself, “Honeymaren.”

After a beat, she looked back up at Maren and asked, “What are you doing up?”

“I… I- I um…” Maren felt flustered.

She was never flustered. Maren knew she was a pretty smooth operator most of the time, but with Elsa she seemed to always revert to her sixteen-year-old self when she first realised that yes, girls could be crushed on too, and gosh, were they beautiful.

“You sing real good,” she managed.

_What kind of grammar was that? Make sentences, girl, and pull yourself together._

Elsa frowned, looking embarrassed, as though she just realised something.

“Oh my gosh, did my singing wake you?”

Maren prided herself in always telling the truth when it mattered.

“Yeah…”

But Elsa looked so guilty at that point that Maren instinctively stepped closer, waving her arm ridiculously, as though trying to wave the guilt away. She realised how stupid she must look and put her arm down.

“Honestly, couldn’t have woken up to any sound more beautiful,” she hastily added, “I wish you would continue.”

She practically mumbled the last part, and Maren _never_ mumbled.

But Elsa had caught every word, and even in the moonlight Maren could see her blush.

“Well, sorry, anyway,” Elsa finally replied, “I guess old habits die hard.”

“You sing in the middle of the night often?”

Elsa smiled mischievously. Maren hadn’t seen her look so mischievous since she was eight.

“Yes, Anna used to complain all the time. Sometimes when I couldn’t sleep I did it on purpose just to annoy her.”

Maren chuckled, loving this devious side to her.

“Last week I had a big inspiration for a building my firm was working on and I stayed up almost every night singing and sketching,” Elsa continued, “I don’t know why but it’s my most creative time. You know the North Mountain Tower? It was almost fully designed like that.”

Elsa let out a resigned chuckle after the admission of her strange creative process. Maren couldn’t believe she designed the iconic North Mountain Tower. Before she could say so Elsa continued.

“And I kinda forgot you were home tonight. Sorry.”

“Hey, I walk around the house naked, you sing at 3am in the morning. We all do weird things when we’re home alone. But only one of us creates award-winning monuments from it.”

Elsa tensed and averted her eyes at Maren’s mention of their very awkward and very naked encounter early in the week. But Maren was a firm believer in making fun of herself to diffuse an uncomfortable situation. She shrugged and laughed, and eventually she could hear Elsa joining softly.

She sat beside her, looking up into her eyes. They were incredibly blue and seemed to pierce into Maren’s soul. She gulped.

“So…” she croaked out, “what are you working on?”

“Oh, this isn’t for work,” Elsa replied, as her hand seemed to protectively push the book deeper under her thigh, “just a doodle I was working on for fun.”

“Inspiration strikes at the weirdest time, doesn’t it?”

Maren was dying to have a peek at Elsa’s art, but it was clear Elsa was being very private about it, and Maren wasn’t going to push her. Elsa seemed to be struggling internally about something, her eyes a conflicting blend of eagerness and shyness as her thumb and finger fiddled with the spiral spine of the pad. Maren gave her some space and leant back against her arms, humming the tune Elsa was singing to herself.

“Here,” Elsa finally said, thrusting the canvas onto Maren’s lap, “it’s silly though.”

Maren picked up the pad gingerly, tilting it to the window to catch the moonlight.

“Wow,” she breathed, eyes widening in awe, “You want to build this?”

_She said it wasn’t for work, dummy, pay attention._

Elsa laughed, and she had even managed to do that melodiously.

“Oh no, that can’t possibly be built. It’s structurally unsound. Don’t get me wrong, I love my math, but I’m in no mood for it at 3 am.”

“Still, so cool. I can’t believe you do this for fun. What are these columns supposed to be made of? Glass? How did you make them look clear?”

Maren tilted the paper side to side, as though it would allow her to see through the walls into the interior. It was a foolish thing to do, but the drawing looked deceptively three-dimensional.

“Don’t make fun of me, okay? It’s supposed to be ice. It’s inspired by the movie we watched earlier.”

Maren tore her eyes away from the drawing and looked at Elsa, struck even more by her creativity and spontaneous bursts of inspiration. Give Maren a year and the movie on repeat and she still would not have been able to come up with anything original inspired by it. Elsa only needed one viewing and sketched a freaking ice castle immediately after. She said as much to Elsa, loving how the compliment made her blush and grin proudly.

“Yeah… well, the snow queen just upped and left her home to live in the woods at the end of the movie. I get that she was the fifth spirit and everything, but come on, I bet she’s going to need a roof over her head and a bed to sleep in eventually right? It was driving me nuts, and I couldn’t sleep until I drew her an ice castle.”

Maren laughed heartily, marvelling at the other woman’s thought process. It was like the Elsa she had known as a child. Exceptionally imaginative, but meticulous and detailed to the point that it was almost neurotic. She once paused a pretend game because Ryder had decided on being a giraffe and Elsa had insisted he needed to know the sound a giraffe made. Maren, on the other hand, was just happy to go along with the whims of the other three, always more interested in who could run the fastest or climb the highest tree.

Maren pondered for the first time the problem of where the Snow Queen would live.

“I dunno, I just kinda figured she would live with the forest chick. The one with the staff,” she said after a while, “they looked like they had something going on between them.”

“They did?” Elsa gasped, looking disproportionately stunned by the revelation Maren had made about the kid’s movie.

“Yeah! Well, not explicitly. But they were laying the hints on pretty thick, weren’t they?”

Elsa said nothing, still deep in thought, which puzzled Maren. She shrugged.

“I dunno. Maybe it’s just me. But either way, they look pretty good together.”

Elsa tilted her head as she gazed into the distance, as though trying to envision something in front of them that was invisible to Maren. She smiled lightly.

“Yes,” she finally spoke, “they did look pretty good together.”

“Great, glad we agree on that. Sorry your ice castle’s no use now, but at least we know the Snow Queen’s got compan-”

“But no… it would never happen.”

Elsa was frowning now, looking down at her hands.

“What? Why not?”

“The studio would never write that…. it’s wrong.”

Maren was not sure if she had heard Elsa correctly given that it was almost a whisper, but she felt herself bristling anyway. _Gods_ , how could she have read Elsa so wrongly!

“Well, excuse me for thinking that two consenting adults should be able to love each other regardless of their gender!” she huffed hotly.

“Maren, wait!” Elsa exclaimed as she placed a cool hand on Maren’s arm to stop her from getting up from the chair, “I’m sorry if I offended you… I don’t know what I was saying, I was caught up in my own… stuff…”

Maren looked over at Elsa, guilty to find her looking genuinely upset and worried that she had broken whatever they had going on between them.

“I… I don’t know how to begin…” Elsa continued, looking extremely lost, “I just… I want to …”

Maren could see the struggle in her eyes, that she was fighting to pull some unsaid words, very, very, unwillingly from within herself. Elsa closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths, before shaking her head roughly and opening her eyes again, her eyes cold and sharp.

“I promise I’ll tell you one day, Maren,” the words came out almost mechanically, “when I’ve sorted it out properly.”

_Tell me what? Sort what out?_ Maren was dying to know. But the way Elsa had suddenly closed her off left her feeling hurt, which made Maren feel even more vulnerable. She was not used to being hurt so easily. In her time, many straight girls had either absentmindedly brushed off her advances or awkwardly turned her down, but none of those experiences had stung so much as tonight. And dammit, she wasn’t even coming on to Elsa. There was nothing for the blonde to reject. Why was Elsa’s general remarks on sexuality breaking her heart so much?

“Right. Sure, of course,” Maren replied, numb.

She chanced a glance at Elsa and her heart broke further at Elsa’s reaction to her cold words. She looked completely at a lost as to what had upset Maren so deeply, desperate blue eyes searching brown ones.

Maren sighed, deciding to relief the girl of her misery. Even if she knew that all chance of anything happening between them was well and truly gone now, she still cared for Elsa as a dear friend.

“Elsa, I’m bi.”

Blues eyes widened as Elsa’s mouth fell open, her face unreadable as she processed the information. It was nerve-wracking for Maren. Soon, her pale features softened into something… hopeful? Maren did not dare believe her eyes.

“You’re bi.”

Elsa repeated softly, as though it was a huge revelation hitting her.

“You’re bi.”

She said it again, a small smile dancing across her lips. Maren had no clue why the blonde looked so pleased, but Maren was just desperate for her approval.

“You know, saying it again and again is not going to change it,” Maren replied, intending for it to be cheeky, but somehow it came out slightly bitter.

“Oh no, I would _never_ want to change you,” Elsa had gasped instinctively, and Maren’s heart felt healed immediately.

With that she knew how Elsa truly felt about her sexuality and she didn’t feel unwelcome anymore. She couldn’t help but smile. Looking immensely relieved, Elsa grinned back.

“Thank you for telling me,” Elsa said tenderly.

Maren shrugged, scratching the back of her head.

“Actually, I never really made any effort to hide it… surprised you didn’t already know.”

“Really?”

Elsa seemed completely clueless. It was kind of adorable.

“But… but… John Smith?”

She could tell it had slipped out before Elsa could help it, as the blonde clasped a hand over her mouth in horror. Maren sniggered.

“What? You don’t know I’m bisexual but you know about John? That was eons ago! It was a college romance.”

“I’m not some kind of stalker or anything!” Elsa struggled to defend herself, “it was -, well she -”

Elsa stopped herself before she revealed her confidential source. It was obviously Anna.

“Hey, it’s fine, we were together for quite a while after all,” Maren explained, before smirking, “bisexuals like men too, you know.”

“Yeah… yeah, of course,” Elsa stuttered, although she did look like she was only realising that at that moment.

Maren briefly wondered if Elsa had been so fixated on the sudden new possibility that Maren was into women that Elsa had forgotten what the rest of Maren coming out as bisexual meant, but Maren shot that thought down immediately. If anything, Elsa had proven herself tonight to be at best, a straight and struggling ally.

“What happened between you two?” Elsa asked quietly, before hastily adding, “if you don’t want to share it’s totally fine!”

Maren tried her best to keep her smile encouraging. It was comforting to open up to Elsa. She looked so concerned it made her feel treasured.

“To cut a long story short, his parents happened,” Maren summarised, “they didn’t like that I wasn’t white. He was very okay with them having such an opinion. So, I broke up with him.”

Elsa frowned, something beyond upset on Maren’s behalf evidently troubling her.

“The parents,” she sighed, almost to herself, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s fine. It took a while. A long while, if I’m being honest, but I’m over it. I did promise myself though, that the person I finally end up with, is going to have to be proud of me.”

Elsa dipped her neck down to catch her eyes, making sure she was looking deeply into her blue ones, before she said, completely earnestly, “they absolutely should be.”

And the yearning Maren had inside her for that person to be Elsa tugged at her so hard it hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... Elsa took one step forward and two steps back :(


	5. Day 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews at the end of chapter 4! Was honestly not expecting them to be so positive, and they made me smile :)  
> I almost feel bad for what is going to happen on Day 5... but it is what it is. In my head it's like watching Big Brother and I'm just narrating what unfolds in this quarantine apartment. These two disasters don't let me tell them what to do.

**Friday. 11.00am.**

“Definitely,” Elsa said over the phone, her fingers typing away furiously on her laptop, “we can do that.”

She had come to the living room to conduct her meeting over the phone with one of the firm’s clients, the reception better here. Maren emerged from the hallway, hair completely fussed as she rubbed at her eyes. She looked tired. Elsa felt bad for being partially responsible for her exhaustion. Two nights ago, she had accidentally woken Maren up with her singing and then kept her up with their heart-to-heart conversation. And then Maren had a sudden barrage of administration later that morning regarding cases of stolen toilet paper rolls, and she had to power through them the whole of yesterday. When Elsa had gotten up in the wee hours of this morning to use the bathroom, she saw that the light in Maren’s room was still on.

Maren spotted her on the couch and plopped down beside her, sighing. She was sat really close, and her shoulder nudged gently into Elsa’s side as she slouched. Elsa tensed. She wasn’t used to physical intimacy, or rather, intimacy of any kind, and it was slightly unnerving. She watched as Maren immediately nodded off again, her breathing slowing and her head falling gently onto Elsa’s shoulder. Elsa smiled to herself, oddly feeling more at home in the new apartment with Maren now at her side.

Her client asked her a question and she had no choice but to answer.

“Granite would be the way to go.”

Maren snapped up at the sound of her voice, blinking confusedly. She looked adorable and Elsa hated to have woken her up. _Sorry_ , she mouthed to Maren.

Maren shook her head, rubbing her eyes again. She straightened, no longer leaning onto Elsa, and stretched her arms wide above them, yawning. Rummaging in the front pocket of her hoodie she pulled out her phone and turned it on. Her phone buzzed non-stop with a string of notifications. Maren audibly groaned.

Her client asked if he could have a sidebar with his colleagues at that moment. How convenient, Elsa thought, smiling at Maren.

“Yes, I can hold,” Elsa said over the phone.

She switched the mic off on her phone and turned to Maren, “Found the missing toilet paper rolls yet?”

“Apparently not,” Maren replied grumpily, swiping through her emails and work chat groups, “someone’s gotta be having massive diarrhoea, that’s the only logical explanation.”

Elsa laughed, appreciating how Maren always found humour in her own misery.

“What?!” Maren exclaimed, gripping her phone a little closer before throwing her head back in exasperation, “someone broke into a pharmacy to steal all the surgical face masks. I swear, the world’s gone mad.”

“That’s horrible.”

Maren sighed, stowing the phone back into her pocket as she shifted herself in the couch such that she was fully facing Elsa, her legs folded between them.

“Well, it looks like I have another long day of cataloguing crime scene photographs ahead of me.”

“Aww, I’m sorry, Maren,” Elsa consoled, “if only it weren’t confidential, I would really like to help.”

“Nah, it’s fine, after all, you seem really busy too.”

Elsa was about to reply when she heard some commotion in her earphone.

“Back,” her client said.

Elsa held up one finger at Maren apologetically as she unmuted her mic with her other hand.

She continued to speak to her client, all the while noticing from the corner of her eye that Maren was watching her. The brunette was leaning fully on her side along the back of the couch now, one arm propped against the top of the couch so she could rest her head on it. Elsa could feel herself blushing.

Her meeting concluded and she thanked her client before ending the call. She straightened away from the back of the couch so she could turn and face Maren properly.

“What?” she asked, a small smile on her lips.

“Nothing,” Maren replied cryptically, mischief dancing in her eyes.

“Come on, what?” Elsa urged, closing her laptop and gathering her things as she stood up.

Maren looked up at her, smiling back.

“You sound really different on the phone,” she finally remarked.

“Oh? And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, really!” Maren’s smile widened, “You just sound very grown-up. In control. Smart. Powerful.”

There was a glint in Maren’s eyes as she said that that made Elsa’s stomach flutter. She cleared her throat and fiddled with the laptop in her arms.

“It’s kinda hot,” Maren concluded.

At that, Elsa’s hand slipped off the drawing stylus attached to her laptop and the pen tumbled to the floor. Maren merely chuckled as she reached down to fish it up for her. Elsa previously thought she was imagining it, but she was sure of it now. Ever since Maren came out as bisexual to Elsa two nights ago, Maren had been occasionally flirty with her, seeming to relish in the surprised reaction it always elicited. It wasn’t just the not-so-subtle flirting. Even earlier, when she plopped down by Elsa and fell asleep, it had demonstrated a degree of closeness the two had previously never shared.

“Oh, don’t look so scandalised. It’s a compliment. Guys dig it when the woman takes charge.”

And that was the reason why, laid out finally in the open. Elsa knew this new dynamic they shared had something to do with Maren thinking she was straight and that nothing could ever happen between them. From Maren’s perspective at least, it must have put their relationship firmly in very safe waters, and Maren was free to be herself, completely open with her affections and her teasing. This was going to be a problem for Elsa.

“Very funny,” Elsa tried to sound nonplussed, as she turned away determinedly to hide her completely red face.

She headed to the kitchen counter to start on coffee for the both of them. Maren followed her, settling herself on a barstool by the kitchen island only to take out her phone to browse again. Elsa pretended not to notice how Maren had shifted from the living space to the kitchen to do something that she could continue accomplishing on the couch, just to be closer to Elsa.

It was a problem of her own making, really, the current predicament she was in, and Elsa jabbed the buttons of the coffee machine aggressively, frustrated. _Why_ did she have to make that stupid faux pas that night? Not only did that make Maren think she was straight, which was the complete opposite of the goal she was trying to accomplish by making an effort with Maren, what was worse now was that Maren very likely thought she was homophobic.

Well, she was kind of homophobic, so at least Maren had got that part right. It was a perspective so ingrained into her by her parents that until today she was still trying to grapple with it and change it. Anna and therapy helped, and she had at least finally accepted her sexuality. But that apparently didn’t mean she was ready for others to accept it as well. She was so close. _So close._ To finally opening up to someone other than her family that night with Maren. But at the very last minute, all the fear of rejection and her parents’ looks of disappointment flooded her mind and she could not bring herself to come out to Maren. _Conceal_ , _don’t feel_ , she had instructed herself, like a reflex response to her fear at what Maren would think of her. Or worse still, what possibilities would open up if Maren _didn’t_ reject her.

She had finished prepping the coffee by the time she pulled herself out of her thoughts, and she brought them over to join Maren by the counter, seating herself across from the brunette. Maren put down the phone and reached for her mug.

“So,” Maren began, after taking a sip, “you got to hear about John the other night, it’s your turn now.”

Elsa swallowed.

“What’s your deal?” Maren asked.

“What- what do you mean?”

“You know. Are you currently seeing anyone? What’s your type? Your history… skeletons in your closet… that sort of thing.”

“Don’t you have a lot of unsorted photographs waiting for you?”

Maren tapped her phone screen to check the time.

“Nah, I got time to get to know my roommate better.”

_Shit._

Elsa took a long drink, stalling for time. This was a bad idea, evidently, as it gave Maren more time to think about how to needle the information she wanted out of her.

“Let’s start with type,” Maren said, acting out a squint as she studied Elsa, “redheads?”

Elsa choked on her coffee, panic surging through every vein.

“So there _was_ a redhead,” Maren continued.

“How do you know about…”

“The same way you found out about John. Online.”

Online? Gods above, what?? How! _Anna_ didn’t even know about Merida. Elsa ran a hand through her hair nervously.

Maren had a sneaky grin now, “So what was Hans like?”

“Hans?!... HANS??!!”

Elsa must have recoiled hard, for Maren put up her hands in front of her in a sign of surrender.

“Woah… sorry. I guess I got it totally wrong.”

“No, no it’s fine…” Elsa was laughing now.

She didn’t find any of this funny, but her body was reacting to her relief in strange ways.

“Hans was…” Elsa struggled to find a description apt enough, “an unredeemable monster.”

Maren whistled, “Remind me to warn your future dates to never cross you.”

“Oh no, he isn’t my ex. He’s Anna’s.”

“Oh,” Maren looked a little embarrassed, “the tabloids weren’t clear about that.”

Elsa smiled at Maren to try and make her feel better. She didn’t want Maren to think she was judging her for looking her up in the tabloids.

“Yeah, well, Father paid good money to cover everything up.”

“Why did he need to do that? What happened?”

“Oh gosh, where to begin?”

“Take your time,” Maren encouraged.

Elsa took a deep breath.

“It was…about three years ago? I had just graduated and was co-running the Arendelle Foundation with my father. Mum was really struggling with our younger brother, Olaf. I don’t think you’ve met him… he’s ten now and he has special needs. So I promised I would help Dad until things got easier before I pursued a career in architecture. Anna and Hans enrolled as interns on their summer break, and Anna worked under my dad while Hans worked under me.

“I think… I don’t say this to Anna but to this day I honestly think he was coming on to me for a while back then. But then he must have realised that no one was getting anywhere with me. Well, obviously because I’m -”

Elsa shook her head to clear it and righted the course of the story.

“…anyway, the point is, out of nowhere, he and Anna became inseparable. He came for family dinners and was in all the board meetings. I knew all of us, barring Anna, felt he was a little shady, but quite frankly we did not give Anna the time or attention she probably needed at that time.

“Things were cold between father and me because that summer I had told him- well, we disagreed on something really important to me and I was shutting him out. Then Olaf began collapsing every time he went out in the sun and it turned out he had heart failure and needed surgery. Gosh, if I had known Olaf was going to become so sick I wouldn’t have said what I said to my parents. But it was too late and before long, dad was with mum in the hospital every other day to see Olaf, and because things between us had soured so much, he entrusted Anna with a lot of what was going on with the foundation.”

Elsa rested her head in her hands. She still blamed herself a great deal for what had happened. She had picked the worst possible moment to distract her family with her issues and had completely abandoned her responsibilities. Worst of all, she had left Anna to fend for herself. It all just seemed so incredibly selfish on hindsight. It was why it was so easy for her to decide that she could live with closing herself off to love forever, if it made things more manageable for her loved ones.

Maren reached forward and rested a comforting hand on her arm, saying nothing, giving her room to end the story there or continue if she wanted to. But now that Elsa had started to share, she didn’t seem to be able to stop.

“When Father returned he found out that Hans, through Anna, was embezzling funds out of the foundation into Isles Incorporated, a shell company he and a couple of his brothers had started when they found out they were written out of their own family fortune. Worse still, he had convinced the board members of the foundation to stage a coup to oust Dad and me from leadership. If it hadn’t been for Anna, who literally risked her entire future by threatening to go to the police with the evidence of wire fraud, even if that meant she too might have needed to go to prison, I think he would have been successful in taking over the foundation.”

“Oh gosh…” Maren gasped, looking completely horrified by the dark turn of events.

“After that, it was a whirlwind of lawsuits and settlements and money burnt to placate the press. But eventually, the feds cleared Anna of any wrongdoing and Hans was sent back to the Southern Isles for further trials. The damage was done though, and Anna was completely traumatised and heartbroken. Father and I didn’t discuss it, but we somehow simultaneously decided to put our disagreements aside for her sake. Eventually, because Anna is just so incredibly strong, she pulled herself together, graduated from university, and made herself capable enough to inherit the foundation completely and comfortably from Father. She… she is amazing.”

“That she is,” Maren agreed, and Elsa heard a bit of strain in her voice.

She looked up at Maren, only to find that her eyes were shining with unshed tears. Elsa turned away hurriedly, the sight making her want to cry too. Maren must have sensed her vulnerability, for she made her way around the counter to Elsa’s side, pulling Elsa into her arms.

As her warmth engulfed Elsa she couldn’t help but break into sobs, hiding her face by burrowing deeper into the brunette.

“I’m sorry for bringing up all that,” Maren sighed, rubbing a hand up and down Elsa’s back soothingly.

It was true, Elsa had not thought about those events in a long time. In the years that passed Anna had focused so much on trying to encourage Elsa to embrace her sexuality that the both of them had subconsciously suppressed many of the reasons why Elsa didn’t want to bring this issue up with her parents again. Now with the aftermath of her original coming-out fresh in her mind, she was more determined to abandon her needs and be a good daughter and sister to her family.

Maren’s sweet, earthy scent filled her consciousness, her strong arms around her making her feel heady. It was starting to soften her resolve. She had to stop this. Sniffing, she pulled back from Maren as she wiped her eyes.

“Thank you,” she spoke, “for listening to me.”

Maren nodded, letting go of her. Elsa watched as she cleared their mugs away, Maren obviously itching to ask her something. Elsa waited.

“What…” Maren tentatively began, brown eyes carefully watching Elsa, “what was it you disagreed with your dad about…?”

It was so deliberate, how she asked it, as though she _knew_ , and Elsa felt her gut twist and her heart hammer in the way that it always did when someone came close to picking up that she was gay.

_Concealdontfeel._

“It doesn’t matter,” she forced out, “it’s not going to change anything now, so there’s no point in bringing it up.”

To Elsa’s dismay, that seemed to confirm whatever Maren’s suspicions were. But at the same time, the message was received, and Maren pulled back on her probing.

Maren tried a small smile, bringing a hand to give Elsa’s arm a reassuring squeeze.

“Okay, I just want you to know, sometimes…” Maren began, before pausing to think for a bit, “sometimes, your secrets can remain just that. Yours. Until you are ready to reveal it. You don’t owe anybody, not even people who you know love you, a right to demand complete access to your heart. When someone loves you, they should trust you. Give you the freedom to determine how you should live your life.”

Maren’s words shook her to her core and she stood rooted to the spot, unable to reply. It was somehow exactly what she needed to hear.

“Do… you need some space?”

Again, exactly what she needed to hear. Elsa nodded. Maren squeezed her arm once more, before heading to her room. But then, she found herself instantly regretting the space between them as she watched Maren leave.

 _Tell her_ , her heart screamed.

She rounded the corner into the hall to see Maren reach her bedroom.

“Maren?”

“Elsa?”

Elsa waited for Maren to face her more fully. No turning back now. Elsa braced herself.

“I told my father I was gay.”

Silence. Deafening silence, as Maren seemed completely frozen, her face paling a bit. Elsa gulped, dread pooling in her. Then, Maren’s hand fumbled for her doorknob and in a flash, Maren’s door slammed shut with a bang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say Honeymaren doesn't have the best coping mechanisms for her panic.  
> Well, she has 9 more days cooped up with Elsa to fix this mess.


	6. Day 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am ashamed to admit I enjoyed the hysteria the last chapter elicited. But let’s put Elsa out of her misery, shall we? 
> 
> Before we begin, I do not recommend waiting till the next day to sort out similar issues in real life, but we are too deep into this a-chapter-a-day format to shake things up now.

**Saturday. 8.20am.**

“YOU DID WHAT?” Ryder exclaimed over the phone.

“I slammed the door in her face.”

“Geez, Mare!”

Ryder was so exasperated he must have swung his phone in an attempt to punch the air, the image of him on Maren’s phone whirring into a blur for a few seconds.

“I know, I know. It was a huge mistake.”

“That doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

“I panicked, okay? You know what I had been doing all this time before she said that? I was flirting. Hard. I thought I had no shot with her, so I was just having some fun. When I realised she and I could have had something real, all the stupid things I did and said flashed in my mind and I wanted to die on the spot.”

“That’s on you,” Ryder accused, completely unsympathetic, “Why do you always tease the straight girls? Sure at first you think it’s fun to chase the unattainable. But you know from experience how self-destructive that is. And now on top of that you’ve made someone else suffer for it.”

“Urgh, enough with the lecture. I hate myself enough as it is. Just tell me what to do.”

“Apologise. Duh. Let her know how extremely stupid you have been. That your reaction had nothing to do with her sexuality. She needs to know that.”

“I’ve been trying! But she’s… avoiding me.”

“Then it sounds like you haven’t been trying at all. I mean, the both of you are in freaking quarantine! How can she avoid you?”

“She… hasn’t left her room since yesterday,” Maren replied in a small voice, her heart sinking like a stone.

Actually, she did hear Elsa leave her room once, but Elsa saw her open her door in response and scurried back to her own room so fast it looked like she did that all the time. But at least Maren knew she was okay. Physically. Ryder groaned.

“Gods, Maren, of all people… You know how she is and yet you…,” he sighed, hard, “And she’s an _Arendelle_. Archaic ‘values’ and all. Heaven knows what’s running through her mind right now.”

Ryder had always been the sensitive one, and even as kids he had always been the first to pick up on Elsa’s boundaries and back off. Maren and Anna were often on the other side, pushing against those boundaries to get her to loosen up. When they reunited with the Arendelle sisters recently, they had caught Anna occasionally making references to Elsa’s depression in her teenage years. Knowing how as a child she would sometimes wander off into the unknown parts of the woods by herself when she was upset, Maren could imagine how reclusive she might have been when she was depressed.

“Shit. I fucked up.”

“Big time.”

“Now what? Ryder, I really need to make things right.”

“You’ve got to be honest. About everything. What you were thinking when you were messing with her. Why you shut her out just like that the moment you learnt she was gay. Any attempt at trying to hide part of the truth, and you’re not going to convince her you accept her for who she is.”

“But… I can’t possibly tell her everything! I don’t think I’m ready for her to know that… that…”

“That what? That you have feelings for her? Should have thought about that before recklessly flirting with her and making a fool out of yourself.”

“I don’t even know how she feels about me… confessing so early… it might ruin whatever it is between us. And gosh, Ry, she’s so amazing. I don’t think what I’ve got is just a crush…”

“Stop, Maren, no, just stop.”

Ryder stared down Maren sternly.

“I’m your brother, I love you, and I will always want the best for you. But we’re Natturas, and we have honour. You can’t do this to Elsa.

“Tell her how you feel, and if she rejects you, you ruin your chances with her. But at least she knows she can be who she needs to be. _Don’t_ tell her how you feel, and she’s going to think that even those outside her family can’t accept her, and you ruin _her_ chances with _anyone._ ”

The significance of Ryder’s words rung in her ears.

“You’re right,” Maren sighed, “Dammit! You’re right.”

Ryder softened at Maren’s anguish.

“Sorry, Mare. Really, I am. You know, if you had given her enough time and space… I really think you two would have looked really good toge-”

“No! Don’t even say it. I know what I have to do and I don’t want to change my mind.”

“Good. Sorry.”

“Thanks, Ryder. Knew that I could always count on you. Give Mo my best, would you?”

They ended the call and Maren slumped her head back against the wall, closing her eyes at the pounding headache between her ears. Between trying to keep up with her work correspondence, which had severely backlogged as she spent much of yesterday spiralling, and repeatedly peeking out of her room to catch Elsa if she left her room, Maren had barely slept a wink.

Deciding she can’t put Elsa through anymore misery, she gathered her courage and headed towards the formidable closed door.

Her hand hovered over the door as she steeled herself to knock, but before she could, it creaked open and she was confronted with the startled look of her roommate.

Elsa looked… terrible. And knowing that it was because of her, Maren felt like someone had punched her in the gut. And as a cop she knew what it felt like to be punched in the gut.

There were dark circles around her eyes, stark against her pale skin. Her hair fell messily out of her loose bun and her lips chapped presumably from overbiting. Worse of all, she looked broken. Defeated. Her stance hunched to make herself smaller, her face blank from all emotion.

“Maren,” she acknowledged, her voice mechanical.

“Elsa,” Maren started, then faltered.

Elsa hugged the clean clothes in her arms closer to her as she waited. She eyed the fist that Maren was still holding up when she was about to knock, and Maren let it fall to her side.

“Look, Elsa, can we talk? I think I have a lot of explaining to do.”

“Not now,” the frosty tone again, “I have to use the bathroom.”

That left Maren no choice but to step aside. She watched as Elsa shuffled to the washroom. Elsa hesitated by the bathroom door, before turning around to look right back at Maren. Maren saw a storm roar through the watery blue eyes.

“You’re… very important to me, Maren. I’m sorry I said what I said. I promise I won’t bring it up again. I hope you can forget about it.”

With that, Elsa closed the bathroom door behind her, and Maren heard the lock turn into place. The whispered words cut through the air and Maren heard her loud and clear, feeling like she just took an ice dagger to the heart.

-

It felt like forever, but finally the lock clicked again and the door open, revealing a scrubbed-up Elsa, though she still looked as weary as before. Maren scrambled to get up from the wall by the bathroom she had slumped against. Elsa watched her blankly, revealing nothing about how she felt to see that Maren had been waiting outside the bathroom for her.

“Breakfast?” Maren tried.

Elsa shook her head, “I’m not hungry.”

“Please, Elsa, I want to talk.”

Elsa sighed and looked down, playing with her fingers.

“I would prefer if you would leave it,” she looked back up at Maren with pleading eyes, “I’m sorry to have made you feel uncomfortable, could we just go back to how it was before?”

Maren reached out to grasp Elsa’s hand, stopping her from worrying the skin around her nails any further.

“Gosh, Elsa, you have _nothing_ to apologise for. I have been a complete jerk.”

“Please don’t try to make me feel better.”

“No, you have to believe me! Please, have you ever known me to lie?”

Elsa paused, and Maren knew her commitment to honesty is finally paying off.

“If you could just… let me explain myself. I beg you,” Maren added.

Finally, almost imperceptibly, Elsa gave her a nod. Maren heaved a sigh of relief and manoeuvred her hand to lace her fingers more comfortably with Elsa’s. She led them to the kitchen island, where Elsa unlaced her hand from hers to sit by the counter, waiting.

Maren steeled herself. She paced around the kitchen first to gather her thoughts. Fishing out a bowl, a spoon, cereal, and the chocolate milk she had bought Elsa, she slid them tentatively in front of the blonde woman. Elsa stared at her breakfast, not making a move.

Realising she wasn’t going to touch the food, Maren leaned forward on her forearms so she could catch Elsa’s eyes. She wasn’t quite successful as Elsa was determined to avoid hers.

“Elsa? I am so, so, sorry about how I reacted to you coming out to me yesterday.”

From her vantage point Maren could see Elsa clasp the hands she had placed in her lap.

“It must have been the worst possible response to have received and I need you to believe me that it is absolutely not reflective of how I feel.”

Elsa knuckles were ghostly white by now.

“I…” Maren took a deep breath, “how do I say this?”

Maren straightened, placing her hands on her hips, exhaling as she closed her eyes. She swallowed, “this is going to make me sound like a dick whichever way it comes out but here goes…”

Here goes nothing.

“I like you, Elsa. More than as a friend. From the moment you came back into my life on game night, to the day you moved in, and every second after that. Even when I thought you were straight and I had no shot, I liked you.”

Elsa’s head snapped up at that admission, eyes wide. Maren wasn’t sure if it was in surprise, disgust or panic. She held her gaze against the intensity of Elsa’s stare.

“I… I don’t always have the healthiest way of dealing with my feelings…” Maren pushed on, “maybe I like a challenge. Maybe I’m a masochist. But when I thought you couldn’t possibly be into me… I couldn’t stop tempting myself with the taste of what it could be like to be with you. Knowing now how complicated your feelings about your sexuality were… gosh, that must have made you so uncomfortable, and I’m so sorry to have tormented you like that.”

A tear slid down Elsa’s eyes, and the blonde looked away immediately, blinking rapidly to hide it. Maren’s heart broke, but she had to continue.

“I don’t know how I deserve it, but you trusted me enough to tell me you’re gay, and instead of thanking you for letting me in and celebrating you like how I really wanted to I slammed the door in your face.”

Even saying it now left a bitter taste in Maren’s mouth, and her insides churned at the memory of how she had acted.

“The thing is, I freaked out,” Maren admitted, “I couldn’t stop myself from wallowing in all the instances of how I had made a fool of myself in front of you. Hell, I said you were hot! I wore those damned sports bras. Watching TV on the couch the other day I… I ran my foot up your calf!”

Elsa’s whole face flushed a deep shade of red as her entire being tensed, evidently able to recall every event Maren had listed. Maren felt like a complete idiot, but like she promised Ryder, she was going to tell the whole truth.

“It was exciting and silly and fun, even when I recognised how reckless and inconsiderate it also was. Then when you said you were gay… and I realised that I actually could have… I dunno, taken this _thing_ between us more seriously, I saw how deeply I had fucked up and my mind just screamed and I just… I had to get away from you to sort out my embarrassment.”

The words had come out in a rush, and only as it tumbled out did Maren recognise another problem with what she had just said. She continued hurriedly.

“It’s not that now that I know you’re gay I immediately think you would want me, or… or that just because of your sexuality you owe me a shot or anything like that! I… I … Urgh!”

Maren tugged at her hair, by now herself extremely confused by her own words.

“Maren, Maren,” Elsa spoke, calming Maren down instantly.

She had held a hand up towards Maren, like she was trying to placate a startled animal.

“I understand what you mean, don’t worry… and I believe you.”

Maren felt the relief wash over her, and she suddenly felt exhausted, clambering onto a stool by Elsa.

“Thank you,” Maren breathed, “I’m so sorry, and thank you.”

They exchanged a long glance, both still processing the heaps of information that had just been unloaded. Eventually, Elsa broke into a small tentative smile, her whole face lighting up with it. Maren felt like she was releasing a breath she had been holding inside her since yesterday.

“Elsa, I am so thankful for you. All of you. Exactly the way you are. I should have told you so the moment you let me in yesterday.”

Tears brimmed in blue eyes, and Maren felt Elsa’s anxiety melting down with Maren’s. The blonde was full-on crying now, even as a choked laugh escaped her lips. Elsa buried her face in her hands, laughing-crying even harder.

“Aww, come here,” Maren pulled her into her arms.

Eventually, Elsa calmed down enough to pluck herself out of Maren’s arms.

“Shit, that’s the second time I’ve cried in front of you in two days.”

“Well, I have that effect on women, unfortunately.”

Elsa did a bit of a double take before she fixed a grin on her face.

“And… you’re back,” Elsa announced.

“So are you,” Maren replied, feeling fully relaxed now.

She loved how they got on so well. Even after the intensity of the conversation, everything slid back to easy banter so naturally with Elsa.

But Elsa was biting her lip now, as though gathering her courage to say something. Maren had an inkling as to what she wanted to address.

“About those feelings…” Elsa began, so softly Maren had to lean in to catch them, “you’ve been so honest so I won’t lie too. I can’t say they weren’t… reciprocated.”

 _She can’t say… she cant say they weren’t…_ Maren was working out the double negatives in her head like a dense idiot. Then it hit her. _Oh._ Ohmygosh…

“But,” Elsa continued, even as her blush stayed fixed on her face.

_Shit._

“I don’t know if you’ve figured it out, but you should know that you’re the first person outside my family that I’ve come out to.”

 _Yeah, I figured that out already,_ _which makes my behaviour more inexcusable._

“It’s just that, you are very dear to me, Maren. And after everything you said about you accepting me as I am… it’s made me realise that I may need a dear friend right now. While I sort out… everything. I’ve never lived like this before, with my sexuality laid out in the open like that, right there for me to confront.”

Maren’s heart clenched for Elsa, barely able to imagine the conflict she must be having inside her all this time. She and the people she had been around all her life had been completely comfortable with her bisexuality.

“Of course,” Maren said immediately, leaving no room for doubt in her voice, “hey, you need a friend, you’ve got one.”

Elsa smiled gratefully at Maren, looking much more at peace.

“Thank you, Maren,” she sighed, voice thick with emotion, “thank you so much.”

And in that moment, regardless of how she felt, Maren was sure she would die happy even if Elsa never considered her to be anything more than a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What would these two do without Anna (in chapter 3) and Ryder? With that AMAZING reindeer proposal in F2 I REFUSE to accept the canon that Ryder knows nothing about women. He just thinks he doesn’t.
> 
> Thanks so much for putting up with these two (and me). I’d like to think this is as happy a resolution as they can achieve, for now. After all, this is a slowburn (or as slow as 14 days is).
> 
> On a very random sidenote, this chapter reminded me of one of my favourite sad songs: Call It Off by Tegan and Sara. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDalqUQozcs Hope some of you like the song too!
> 
> ‘til tomorrow,  
> Blackthorn


	7. Day 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m very grateful for all the reviews, they never fail to brighten my day during these trying times 😊  
> These crazy girls, awake at 6am on a Sunday... but looking at Disney's catalogue: Belle, Cinderella, Mulan, Rapunzel, Tiana... i feel like it's almost a prerequisite for being a Disney princess to be up and about and sometimes already singing when the sun rises.

**Sunday. 6.05am.**

The first rays of sunlight sneaked through half-drawn shades into the blonde woman’s bedroom. She stirred, rolling onto her back and stretching, arms flung out to her sides as her back arched.

Elsa blinked awake. For the first time in forever, she had slept like a baby. Now she didn’t feel like herself. She realised that was because she had not felt so at peace with herself in such a long time. She felt a smile growing on her face as she remembered the reason why. _Honeymaren_.

 _That magnificent girl_. Elsa couldn’t help thinking, a full-fledged grin on her face now.

It was a complete one-eighty from how she had been feeling yesterday. When she was completely at a lost as to why Maren had reacted exactly like her parents did when she came out. She was starting to think she was the problem, since everyone had the same instinct to reject her. But then Maren had explained what happened. And she had been so honest, risking rejection herself and being completely vulnerable, all to make sure Elsa knew how much Maren had valued her.

Until yesterday, she didn’t know what it meant to swoon. But then Maren had admitted she had feelings for her, and Elsa had felt simultaneously fainter and more alert, giddy but hyper-aware of Maren.

But also, until yesterday, she didn’t know what it meant to be accepted just the way she was. Sure, she had Anna, who had provided her with a love like no other. Anna’s love was unconditional, but Anna herself was so… eager. Keen. And so… much. Sometimes so desperate for Elsa to be more than she felt like being. She wanted Elsa to be happy, to be loved, to open herself to love. And for someone who had always been slightly prone to melancholy, it could get a bit overwhelming. But Maren had demonstrated an acceptance that came with no expectations. Elsa was not one for trendy vernacular, but the only way to describe it was _chill_. Maren was chill. She was confident and calm and around her Elsa felt like she could breathe. And be completely herself, even if that meant she wanted to sulk or be morose or retreat into her inner world.

She needed someone like Maren in her life. As much as she wanted to act on her feelings for the woman, and as much as she agreed with Anna that it was time to open herself to romance, when Maren sat beside her yesterday and showed her once more what it was like to be appreciated with no stakes involved, Elsa realised she couldn’t lose her.

And in classic Maren behaviour, the brunette had agreed, putting her romantic feelings aside for the sake of their friendship, and appeared completely content with anything Elsa would give her. Amazingly, she had even managed to let Elsa know, to feel in her bones, without having to say any of it out loud, that Elsa should not feel bad about asking Maren to forget about her feelings.

Gods above, she loved that woma-… _wait, what?_ Elsa shot up from her bed, alarmed by her own thoughts.

No no no… it was too soon to think that, right? Wait, but friends love each other. Yes. She loved Maren. As a friend.

Nodding to herself, Elsa headed off to face the day, satisfied. And enthusiastic to spend what’s left of the weekend with Maren. With her _friend_.

-

She found her friend perched on the couch in the living room, already fully dressed, despite it being 6am in the morning. Maren was in full exercise gear, this time comprising a hoodie zipped up conservatively and baggy sweatpants instead of skin-tight leggings. Her signature braid was fixed up into a severe bun on the top of her head. Feet up on the coffee table, she was balancing a bowl on her knees as she shovelled spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth. Her eyes were glued to the morning news. Maren had obviously stopped teasing Elsa, but Elsa still couldn’t help finding the sight before her very attractive.

She spotted Elsa emerging from the hall and quirked an eyebrow, surprised that Elsa was up so early. After munching on her cereal for a while, she swallowed, raising a suspiciously brown-stained spoon.

“You know you might be on to something,” Maren waggled the spoon towards her, “this is delicious.”

Elsa chuckled but stopped laughing when she picked up the chocolate milk carton on the kitchen island, shaking the unexpectedly light cardboard in her hand.

“Did you finish my chocolate milk?” she complained, feigning anger, “you bitch all the time about my unhealthy addiction to it and then you go off and finish it behind my back?”

Maren seemed to relish in Elsa’s annoyance.

“Oh, unclench,” Maren retorted, fighting back a smile, “there’s going to be more where that came from.”

She paused to slurp up the rest of her cereal milk and got up to join Elsa in the kitchen.

“Ryder’s grocery delivery came in yesterday,” she explained, “I told him to order some groceries for us too. And I didn’t forget the chocolate milk.”

Elsa’s heart warmed at her thoughtfulness.

“And since the government is counting exercise as a legitimate reason to leave the house, I’m going for a run. It’s early so there shouldn’t be many people on the streets. Will pick up the groceries from his place on the way back.”

“Thanks, Maren.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve been dying for some fresh air.”

Maren turned from her place by the sink to face Elsa, but didn’t meet her eyes.

“I uh, was actually hoping to come back before you woke up. So you could still have your chocolate milk for breakfast.”

Elsa felt her insides flutter, but she masked it, scoffing in response.

“Like you said, Maren. I’m twenty-four. I can go a day without chocolate milk.”

“We’ll see about that.”

They both laughed at that.

“Well, I’m heading out, see you later!”

Elsa bade her goodbye and settled on one of the barstools, trying to plan something to do with her day. Working from home did not make Sundays feel all that special anymore.

-

Maren returned ninety minutes later, just in time, for Elsa had spent the intervening time preparing a hearty fry-up for the two of them. Maren cheered when she opened the door and caught a whiff of the bacon sizzling on the pan.

“Elsa, you are a godsend,” Maren said, as she unloaded the groceries, “I’m starving. The run was longer and colder than I had anticipated.”

“How’s Ryder and Moana?”

“Good, good. Didn’t hang around though, ‘coz well, social distancing. But they seem all loved up.”

“Doing better than Anna and Kristoff then. Kristoff texted to ask if I had any advice to get Anna to keep to normal forms of transportation about the house, and Anna is disgusted to find out that Kristoff eats his boogers after he picks his nose.”

“Well, Ryder says all men do it.”

Elsa shuddered, “Urgh, glad I’m not into that.”

Maren laughed, like Elsa had said the most natural thing in the world. It was the first time Elsa had ever referenced her sexuality so casually, and it felt so freeing to be able to do so.

“Anyway,” Maren began, “you got anything planned today?”

“Nope. What do you have in mind?”

Maren rummaged in one of the bags she brought over and pulled out a box. She shook it and it rattled.

“Moana gave us a puzzle. A thousand pieces to form a map of Polynesia. Ought to be effective in burning a lot of time.”

Elsa pulled the box towards her and studied the picture on the cover.

“Maren this is just bits of green in a sea of blue! It’s going to be impossible.”

“Come on, it’s not fun if it isn’t hard!”

Elsa agreed.

“Alright, count me in. Although I must remind you, I build things for a living, so you’re going to have to work fast to keep up.”

“Hey, I solve crimes for a living. Crimes… puzzles, same thing.”

“Are we going to turn this into a competition?”

“Looks like it. But yeah, challenge accepted.”

They were both laughing by now, enjoying the company.

“Just like old times, huh?” Maren probed, and Elsa couldn’t help but smile widely, “you and I… we were always the competitive ones.”

“I guess that’s why Anna and Ryder both grew up to be such excellent peacekeepers.”

“So true. Those bastards should be more grateful to us for that.”

They broke into laughter again and Elsa decided that it was easy being friends with Maren.

-

It was _not_ easy being friends with Maren.

The two roommates were sprawled on the living room floor, the one thousand jigsaw pieces laid out between them. Maren was on her tummy opposite Elsa, her brows furrowed in concentration as she worked on completing one of the edges. She had stuck her tongue out between her teeth, and from her vantage point, Elsa could see right down her shirt. Elsa had always thought cute and sexy were mutually exclusive. She now had concrete evidence in front of her of how wrong she was.

She tried to stop herself from stealing glances, but that was proving difficult. Way more difficult than finding the two pieces of jigsaw that fit together from among what was at least five hundred pieces that were the same shade of blue.

With Maren doing splits and stretches to stay comfortable on the floor, Elsa realised that Maren was extremely flexible too, and she hated herself for noticing, for her mind was now firmly in the gutter as a result of that revelation.

She was circling back to the idea Anna had brought up in their last phone call. About how Elsa was never going to be satisfied with their friendship until she resolved any romantic potential she felt she had with Maren. Elsa was increasingly ambivalent about whether the risk was worth it. The idea of a romantic, and _sexual_ (Elsa had gulped at that), relationship with Maren was proving to be more and more tantalising.

“Hello…?”

“Huh?”

Maren was waiting for her to come back to earth.

“Can I have the piece in your hand?” Maren asked, and Elsa had a feeling Maren was repeating herself.

“I think it belongs to my edge instead of yours,” Maren explained, when Elsa still appeared to not have understood her.

“Right. Here.”

Maren snapped the piece in place, emitting a satisfied noise, and it was almost a moan. Elsa closed her eyes, disappointed at herself for where her imagination had immediately gone.

She was not going to succeed in being just friends with Maren. But if she wanted anything to happen between them, it was going to have to be up to her. Maren had already stated her position, and now the ball was in her court. Elsa inwardly sighed, completely clueless as to how she would navigate this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They’re back to their old ways! Romantic-Maren, being self-sacrificial and hiding her feelings as requested, and Horny-Elsa, being completely useless even when Maren isn’t teasing her. Elsa is delusional if she thinks that just because Maren has put her feelings aside they can remain “just friends”. What is she going to do now?


	8. Day 8

**Monday. 10.00am.**

Maren was going stir-crazy. Granted she left the house yesterday, but that hardly counted. She didn’t get to speak to anyone throughout her run and had only exchanged simple pleasantries with her brother and his girlfriend before she returned home.

She didn’t know she could be hit by the Monday blues given that she didn’t actually have to go to work, and yet here she was- two hours into writing this case report and already unable to sit still. She wondered what Elsa was up to. Excitedly, she got out of her chair and headed to the door before changing her mind and u-turned, plopping back down in her chair. She didn’t want to disturb her roommate, who was likely deep in concentration on her work.

Maren didn’t know how Elsa did it. It’s been a week since she had last left the house and Elsa didn’t seem to be affected by it at all. Being cooped up indoors was starting to wear on almost everyone she knew, her friends sending nonstop texts into the group chats making plans for when the pandemic was over. Even Kristoff, who Maren felt was kind of a recluse, had tagged Ryder in an Instagram post about wanting to be back on the ski slopes. But not Elsa. She had taken the whole exercise in her stride, and at times seemed almost… gleeful? about not having to go out for social commitments.

To Elsa’s credit, Maren had enjoyed her quarantine much more than she expected to because of her company. Maren loved to be on-the-move, she loved to be outside, in the thick of the action. It was part of the reason why she became a detective. She understood and appreciated the thought behind department-mandated administrative periods between stints of action-packed field work, and she knew she needed the break after the emotionally-draining murder case she just closed, but at least in those times she could still go to the precinct, hang out with the other detectives, and hear all about their cases. But now, as Maren came to think of it, living with Elsa, it was quite easy to leave work as work and find other forms of entertainment. Leading by example, Elsa had inadvertently showed Maren how to be a homebody, how to lounge by the window and enjoy the warmth of the sunlight streaming in, how to focus on and appreciate the music playing on the stereo instead of just blasting it in the background. For the first time this year, Maren was _reading a book_. One of Elsa’s favourites.

She liked having Elsa as a friend. She was so grateful that after her unfortunate but brief freak-out over Elsa’s sexuality, Elsa had forgiven her for the reproachful way she had reacted and they were back on good terms. In fact, Maren felt they have never been closer, and Elsa seemed to be more at home in Maren’s presence now that she had shared one of her deepest secrets with Maren.

She had Ryder to thank for that. The brilliant, extremely emotionally-intelligent, brother of hers. And to think he always claimed he knew nothing about women. Maren would have been a complete disaster if it weren’t for him. It was true, she had confessed too early, and while it was pure _joy_ to learn that Elsa had, at one point, felt the same way about her, she knew she had blown her chance of pursuing a romantic relationship with Elsa. Strangely, she was okay with that. Anything to be part of Elsa’s life.

She drummed her fingers on her table. She would give herself two hours. If Elsa didn’t leave her room by then, she will go check on her. The girl needs her lunch break, after all, Maren reasoned.

-

**11.30am.**

_Knock, knock._

Okay, maybe she couldn’t wait two hours.

“Yup!”

That was all the reply she got. Maren bit her lip, feeling suddenly shy, worried she was disturbing. But she was _so bored._

“Can I… uh- come in?”

“Yup!” Elsa said again.

Maren turned the doorknob and stepped in tentatively.

Elsa swerved around on her swivel chair to face her. She had on a plain white tee with an unbuttoned plaid shirt over it, rolled up at the sleeves while she worked. She was in another one of her short shorts again, similar to the one she had on the other night Maren caught her sketching in the living room, as she sat snugly cross-legged in her chair. The girl seemed impervious to the cold. The excess of beautiful, flawless, pale skin on display made Maren’s cheeks feel hot. Her platinum blonde locks were in a loose plait down one shoulder, and a pencil was wedged behind an ear while Elsa held another one in her hand. She was always so effortlessly beautiful.

“What’s up?” Elsa asked.

 _Nothing’s up._ Maren should have thought of something witty to say or something fun to suggest doing before barging in like that.

She looked around the room for inspiration. It hit her that this was her first time in Elsa’s room. In the two weeks that she’d been here, she had evidently made it her own. A large table-top easel was propped on her desk, and Elsa had several work sketches currently clipped onto it. The bed was immaculately made, and a mountain of cushions were stacked neatly on top in perfect symmetry. Books had already filled up the full-sized bookshelf by her desk, and framed modern art sat stylishly along the floor by the walls. A turntable was spinning a vinyl record, as soft classical music gently filled the room. Everything had a place and it was so clean and proper, and yet there was an elegance and warmth to the room that made Maren just want to dive into the enticing heap of pillows on the bed and let the cosiness of the room engulf her. No wonder Elsa was always cooped up in here.

“Love what you’ve done with the place,” she remarked, “when Ry lived here this room was so stark it was like a prison cell. And it always smelled like reindeer.”

Elsa had a scented candle burning and now the room smelled like mint and hot chocolate and oddly, fresh snow.

“Thanks.”

Elsa smiled, looking very pleased.

Maren moved towards one of the framed artwork, drawn to it by several polaroids forced haphazardly into the frame around it. It looked out of place with the order in the rest of the room. On closer inspection, Maren realised it was a very artistic shot of the North Mountain Tower, taken from the bottom looking up, the sunlight catching the top of the tower, reflecting as a sharp sparkle.

“Anna took that photograph, on ribbon-cutting day.”

Elsa had walked over to join her.

“Wow. Your family’s so artistic,” Maren breathed.

She studied the polaroids framing the picture. It was various shots of the Arendelles at the opening ceremony. In one, the two sisters were sitting on a bench by the entrance to the tower, a very, very happy boy perched on Elsa’s lap, almost falling off. Elsa and Anna both had huge grins on their faces, attention drawn to the boy as Elsa wrapped her arms around him to keep him in place. Kristoff was kneeling by them, an arm around Sven, his golden retriever.

“Is that Olaf?” Maren questioned, pointing to the boy she didn’t recognise, “he’s adorable.”

Elsa’s smile grew even more at the thought of her baby brother.

“Yes. You should meet him some time, he loves warm hugs and making new friends.”

“Great, we have that in common,” Maren grinned.

She looked at another polaroid with Elsa and her parents. Elsa appeared more formal in this one, stood up straight with a small, polite smile on her face. Maren remembered Mr and Mrs Arendelle, and they both obviously aged very gracefully. Mrs Arendelle had on an Elsa-smile on her similar features too, as they both looked shyly at the camera. Mr Arendelle was looking at Elsa, a hand on her shoulder. He looked extremely prim and proper, slightly stiff, but his face shone with immense pride and affection for his daughter.

She looked to the next polaroid and felt a thrill surge through her as an opportunity to tease presented itself.

“What. in. _Heaven’s name.._. is going on here?!”

She saw Elsa cringe from the corner of her eyes, and gleefully snatched the polaroid out from the frame to get a closer look, dancing out of Elsa’s reach as the blonde tried to grab the photograph back.

It was a rather blurry shot, as though the photographer had been in an awful hurry. Elsa was the sole subject of this picture. She was on the rooftop, her hair a chaotic mess, her arms flung out on both sides. She looked like she was in a mid-sashay, her mouth wide in what was either a song or a shout. Even with the lack of sharpness, the sheer joy was evident on her face.

“Give it back!” Elsa whined, fingers grappling around Maren’s forearm.

The blonde was taller and succeeded in getting her hands on the polaroid, which she promptly slotted back into its place, tenderly shifting it into position.

“Sorry,” Maren offered, feeling slightly bad, though a small chuckle still escaped her.

“It’s fine,” Elsa was still smiling, “I was being ridiculous because I thought I was alone,” she fiddled with a corner of the film, “But… Olaf took this picture, so it’s special to me.”

“You look really happy with your building.”

“I was. I am. I was really fortunate that the firm gave me full freedom to design whatever I wanted. It was the first time in my life I felt like I could express myself completely.”

“You should be proud,” Maren returned her gaze to the picture of the building, taking it in properly.

“I see your mind… your spirit… in it. Maybe that’s why it’s so beautiful.”

She said what she felt before she overthought it, and chanced a glance at her roommate. Elsa looked really flattered, a light blush colouring her cheeks. Knowing what she knew about Elsa’s personality, she could understand why this compliment would mean the world to her. Maren wondered if she was blushing harder than Elsa by now.

After, a beat, Elsa seemed to blink to clear her mind, breaking their eye contact.

“So… you wanted to ask me something?”

She had quirked her head politely, waiting for Maren to explain why she was in her room.

“I… Uh…”

_Think, Maren, think._

“Chinese?”

“Huh?”

“For eating. Do you want lunch for Chinese?... Chinese! For lunch!”

“Oh!” Elsa laughed, “sure.”

Maren inwardly groaned at how foolish she sounded. The elusive, attractive architect was going to be the death of her.

-

**2.00pm.**

Maren watched the typing cursor blink steadily on her document and sighed. The case report was chugging sluggishly along, but Maren felt her productivity slipping. The Chinese takeaway was settling in her belly heavily and she felt like she was going to nod off anytime. She wondered if Elsa was feeling sleepy too. She couldn’t stop thinking about her.

With uncharacteristic lack of self-control, she headed to Elsa’s room again. It was fun to hang out with her.

Surprisingly, Elsa had left her bedroom door open this time and Maren leaned against the door frame. Unapologetically cheesy pop was now blaring on her speakers. Bopping her head to the beat, the model-employee was working feverishly fast on her easel, humming breezily. A catchy drumbeat took over the song, and Elsa drummed with her pencil in the air to the rhythm of the music. It was extremely adorable.

“Someone’s in the zone,” Maren observed.

Elsa squeaked in surprise, her hand jerking and a dark black graphite line ran through her sketch.

“Shit, Elsa sorry about that!”

Maren hurried over to look at the damage she’d done. Elsa merely chuckled, picking up her eraser, working carefully around the parts she didn’t want to erase.

“It’s fine, luckily it’s in pencil.”

Maren perched herself casually against the desk, looking down as Elsa continued to work on her sketch. Elsa said nothing about Maren hovering above her. They settled into each other’s company comfortably. Maren was surprised that it didn’t feel awkward.

“Grapes?” Elsa asked.

She picked up the bowl of grapes from a side table and offered it to Maren. She accepted it, cradling it at her waist as she popped a fruit into her mouth. Maren marvelled at Elsa’s incredible focus as she worked away at her sketch, now efficiently drawing perfectly straight lines across the paper in freehand.

Finally, she was done, and she set her pencil down, leaning back slightly to critically take in her work, head tilted to the side adorably.

“Awesome,” Maren praised, then feeling slightly ridiculous, asked, “what’s it supposed to be?”

Elsa laughed at Maren’s honesty.

“Nothing exciting, really,” Elsa admitted, “just a pavilion for the local park.”

Elsa looked up at Maren, then suddenly looked away shyly.

“Actually… it’s inspired by you,” she said very quietly.

“M-me?”

“Well, us…”

Maren felt dizzy.

“…and Northuldra,” Elsa continued, “I tried to incorporate the elements of nature into the design. It’s kinda supposed to look like the tents we used to camp out in as kids.”

Maren looked at the drawing a little closer, recognising familiar motifs along the roof and the pillars that referenced her hometown.

“I see it,” Maren said, amazed, “it’s really nostalgic.”

“That’s what I was going for,” Elsa looked really satisfied with the work.

She leaned back on her chair, swivelling it back and rotating it slightly, such that her legs were now stretched out, feet planted on either side of Maren’s. Elsa stretched forwards and planted her hands on her own knees, nudging one of Maren’s foot with hers.

“So how’s the case report?”

“Urgh, don’t remind me. I came here to get away from it.”

Elsa laughed.

“How much do you have left?”

“Just some closing statements. But I have to include the court proceedings and the legal documents are very long and very boring,” Maren complained.

“Hmm…” Elsa thought aloud, crossing her legs so she could rest her elbow on her knee and her chin on her knuckles.

Looking up at Maren, she continued, “if you manage to finish it by six I’ll make you my signature mushroom risotto for dinner, _and_ , I’ll let you choose what we watch tonight.”

“A woman after my own heart.”

Maren wondered if that crossed a line, but then Elsa _winked_.

“Hey, whatever gets results.”

Something in Maren’s lower abdomen clenched. A confident Elsa was very, very attractive. She was often so reserved and soft-spoken, and yet, this commanding persona still seemed to fit so naturally. It was fascinating. Maren forcefully shoved those thoughts aside. It wasn’t fair to torment herself with such thoughts after she had promised the blonde to remain friends. Maren always kept her word.

Probably as purple as the grapes in her hands now, she hurriedly set the bowl aside and stood back up, heading towards the door.

“Well then I guess I better head back to work.”

She looked back and saw Elsa watching her, a puzzled look on her face as though she was trying to figure something out about Maren.

-

**4.00pm.**

Maren was nowhere close to finishing the report. In the past two hours she had probably written five sentences and deleted three. She huffed in frustration, resting her head on her desk.

“So would we be having mushroom risotto for dinner?” came a voice from the doorway.

Maren turned to see Elsa sauntering in, laptop in hand. She perched herself gracefully on Maren’s bed, not waiting for an invitation from Maren to sit. She crossed her legs and placed her laptop on them, opening it and getting back to work right away. Maren liked that Elsa made herself at home in her room.

Elsa caught her staring and smirked.

“Thought you might need some adult supervision.”

Maren grumbled to herself, pretending to be annoyed as she turned back to her report. She smiled quietly to herself. She had a feeling she knew why Elsa was here. She must have bugged her so many times today that Elsa knew Maren could use the company. It felt wonderful to realise that while they were so different, Elsa understood her so instinctively.

And with the steady, comforting sound of Elsa’s fingers tapping on her keyboard, Maren found the hours flash by and before she could recall how she did it, the case report was done and it was time for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry to leave you guys hanging with another chapter of no progress with these two! We are after all, only halfway there. It feels like their pining is harder on us (me) than it is on them. 
> 
> But this fluff chapter has been my favourite chapter to write <3 I wanted it:  
> 1) To drive home Maren’s loyalty as a person. I feel that her commitment to inaction so she can keep her promise is what draws Elsa to her. Which means that Elsa, and only Elsa, must be the one to move things forward. A character development Elsa sorely needs.  
> 2) To show how precious this friendship is to Maren. We've always known it’s nice for Elsa to finally have someone who accepts her just as she is. But now we know Elsa is good for Maren too because while they’re so different she balances and understands her effortlessly.  
> 3) And look how far Elsa has come! I try to keep to the Canon-Elsa personality and similar backstory, and now she’s going to someone’s room to spend time with them!  
> 4) The relationship between Elsa and her parents is complex in the movies. They’ve caused her so much trauma, but they obviously love her. I tried to show that with the Arendelle polaroids. If her parents outright hated her I don’t think their rejection of Elsa’s sexuality would have scarred her so much.
> 
> And I know those are my words but are we really sure there wasn’t any progress?? This is a Maren-POV chapter and only she says nothing happened. But Your Honour, on the facts alone, Elsa offered a dinner, a movie and a pavilion! She’s putting on the moves y’all, and Maren is hopeless and blind and maybe killing Elsa inside a little bit. 
> 
> Thanks for coming to my ted talk. These things should be in the narrative itself but I am being lazy by stating what I want to happen in these notes instead. Sorry. 
> 
> Before you give up on me I promise to deliver on the tags listed for this fic HAHA. Just lemme have this chapter and things will move forward soon!  
> Blackthorn


	9. Day 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so relieved you guys enjoyed the last chapter despite the slowburn! Thanks so much for the encouraging comments :)
> 
> This is based on a Google search of Norway’s weather, which at the time of writing, was projected to be 4C/40F at the coldest point on Tuesday night. See I’m a serious writer I do my homework.

**Tuesday. 10.30pm.**

“Elsa?”

Elsa was pulled back from the brink of sleep by Maren’s voice and a knock on her door. She got out from under her covers and headed to the door to greet her roommate.

Maren was stood by her doorway, wrapped up snugly in a blanket from the neck down. Her nose was slightly red and she was hopping from foot to foot to keep warm.

“Hey, is your heater working?” Maren asked, her teeth chattering, “mine just died suddenly as I was going to bed.”

Elsa didn’t know.

“I uh… never switched it on tonight, actually,” Elsa admitted.

“What?! How?”

“I dunno…” Elsa shrugged, “If it isn’t below freezing the cold doesn’t really bother me.”

She stepped aside to let Maren in and her roommate gladly accepted the invitation. Maren hopped to the remote control at her desk and fiddled with the buttons, pointing it at the heater. The heater remained dead.

“Blast! Yours isn’t working too.”

Elsa took over the controls and tried as well, but was unsuccessful.

“Hmm… we can call the super tomorrow to see if he can do something about it.”

“Right,” Maren agreed, nodding, “sounds like a plan.”

Her roommate started to make her way back to her room.

“I guess I should go dig out my parka. Packed it away when I thought spring had arrived. Did you bring your winter clothes over to the apartment? If not, I can get you one of my coats too.”

Elsa saw a shiver run through Maren and replied on instinct.

“Or maybe you could just sleep with me.”

“Wait, what?”

Elsa’s heart pounded. That was an unfortunate phrasing. She hadn’t meant for it to sound so suggestive.

“I… I meant, here! In my bed!” Elsa added hurriedly, scurrying to the foot of the bed and gesturing to it.

 _That doesn’t help_. Elsa thought. Maren obviously agreed, looking completely mortified.

She tugged at her blanket, pulling it off the bed to shove it towards the brunette. Several of her pillows tumbled to the ground at the sudden action.

“Here. Feel this,” Elsa tried desperately, “you wouldn’t believe how warm it gets under this. Bruni, a friend of mine, has a knack for quilting and made this weighted blanket for me. I use it all year round because it’s just so soothing. Maybe that’s why I didn’t realise I didn’t need my heater.”

Maren reached out, running a finger through the offered cloth in tentative circles. She stewed in her thoughts for a moment.

“I guess… if you’re totally okay with it. I don’t want to impose,” Maren replied very softly.

Elsa heaved a sigh of relief.

“Totally okay. I mean, what are people going to say if they find you frozen to death? I’m the only other person in the apartment and you have powerful friends in the police force.”

Maren chuckled softly. She followed Elsa’s lead to the bed, unwrapping herself from her own blanket and climbing carefully in. She let Elsa throw Bruni’s quilt over her.

“Woahhh…” Maren sighed, burrowing automatically further into the quilt.

Elsa smiled at the sight, walking around the bed to pick up the fallen pillows and flinging them back onto the bed.

“Why do you need so many pillows?”

“I don’t _need_ them,” she rolled her eyes, “It’s just nice to cuddle into them.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Maren replied, pulling one into her arms, squeezing tight and burying her face in it.

Elsa suddenly wished she was a pillow. She forced that thought out of her mind and climbed into bed. She was mindful to keep a respectful distance from her new bed partner, although as Anna liked to remind her, her definition of what constituted a respectful distance in most situations was usually almost offensively far.

Maren didn’t seem to care though, distracted, as she slid a hand beneath her, pawing at something with a small frown.

“What am I sitting on… What? No Way! Sir Jorgenbjorgen?” Maren fished out Elsa’s doll and giggled, “I miss this guy!”

“You remember him?” Elsa asked, surprised.

“Of course, you went everywhere with him!”

Elsa reached towards Maren to stroke the woollen strands of hair of her stuffed animal.

“I know I should have gotten rid of him long ago, but he has so much sentimental value. I… I don’t really open up to others easily, and it makes me sound crazy but through some of my toughest years growing up he provided a good listening ear.”

Maren smiled tenderly at Elsa, settling the penguin on the sheets between them, patting it.

“Well, not to upstage him, but I’m a pretty good listener too.”

Elsa chuckled, meeting warm, soft brown eyes. Eventually, feeling a heat that had nothing to do with her weighted blanket, she cleared her throat and turned away.

“Goodnight,” she whispered, settling under the covers, facing away from Maren.

“…Goodnight,” Maren replied, sounding almost equally shy.

-

Elsa woke up again with a small “oof!”

A heavy leg had landed on her thighs, prodding her awake. A sudden wave of fear surged through her, before she calmed down almost immediately. In her groggy state she had forgotten that Maren had joined her in bed and had briefly wondered whose leg had landed on top of her. A hand snaked itself around her waist, before she felt herself being pulled back towards a firm, and incredibly warm body.

“Maren…?” Elsa whispered.

A very small snore escaped from the figure behind Elsa. And Elsa couldn’t fight the small smile that creeped onto her face. She didn’t know why it made her so happy that Maren had gravitated towards her subconsciously.

She ran a tentative hand over the arm around her waist, before getting accustomed to the feeling and began stroking it repeatedly. In response, Maren sighed into her neck and pulled her in closer, nuzzling her face into her hair. Elsa could feel Maren’s breasts pressed up against her back and her breath caught. She was now fully awake.

She had never been this close to a girl she liked before. Actually, she didn’t know if girls who were platonic friends snuggled like this. They probably did. Elsa didn’t have much experience even with being around friends. She had spent almost her whole life pushing others away as she struggled with her identity. So wrapped up in internal conflict, she never made many friends in her life. Moving to a new city, even though it was her birthplace Arendelle, around the same time that she was just beginning to explore who she was, had left her lost and confused. Her parents also pushed her hard, academically, initially expecting her to excel so that she could learn the ropes to take over their multi-million-dollar charity foundation. As a result, she struggled with anxiety and depression and responded by retreating deeper and deeper within herself. It left little room for others in her life. Even a hug from her parents, Anna or Olaf could feel like the most important thing in the world to her.

But she had never felt how physical intimacy… could be mixed with so much… was it lust? Maren took a deep breath and Elsa could feel her chest moving behind her, rubbing her breasts more firmly against her. Yes… _lust._ Elsa wanted to feel more of Maren around her. Her heart was pounding in her ears now.

Slowly, trying not to wake Maren, Elsa turned carefully in the brunette’s arms, eventually, facing her fully. Even in the near-darkness, Elsa could see that Maren was _beautiful_. Her strong, perfectly shaped eyebrows were relaxed, and long dark lashes fluttering as she slept peacefully. A dusting of light freckles dotted her sharp cheekbones. She smelt _wonderful_ too, like honey and maple and pine and… Northuldra.

Tentatively, Elsa reciprocated by wrapping her arms around the slim waist, running a hand down the hard, toned back. The sound of Maren’s moan made it through into Elsa’ consciousness through the cacophony of her pounding heart. The brunette subconsciously pulled Elsa even tighter against her, nuzzling against her neck, and the strength she displayed in that simple action left Elsa breathless. In their new position, Maren’s leg that was over Elsa curled into her backside, wrapping herself almost possessively around the blonde.

Elsa _wanted_ her. More than she had ever wanted anything or anyone in her entire life. Her senses were heightened and filled with Maren and only Maren. Her eyes fixed on the silhouette of the beautiful woman, her ears filled with the sound of her slow, steady breathing, her nose flooded with the heady, sweet, familiar scent, as every inch of her skin trembled with the feel of Maren around her.

Maren snored again.

It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to have to appear at the top of tomorrow’s chapter anyway as a warning, so it hardly counts as a spoiler: Rating goes up to Explicit tomorrow. When it rains, it pours.


	10. Day 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated **Explicit**.

**Wednesday. 8.35am.**

Maren could feel the sunlight on her face and scrunched her eyes tighter, unwilling to wake up. She felt like she was being pulled out of a most amazing dream that she couldn’t quite remember, although an image of a familiar ethereal blonde woman was flitting in between her hazey thoughts.

She opened her eyes finally and immediately stiffened. The likely subject of her dreams was staring back at her, unexpectedly close. She quickly took stock of her surroundings, realising that their limbs were tangled together, her body pressed right up against the delicate form of the woman she had gone to bed with.

 _Dammit, did she force herself into her roommate’s personal space overnight?_ She was always a snuggler when she was asleep and she couldn’t help it. Other times though, obviously her bed partner would have welcomed that. But this was _Elsa_ , a woman she had promised to remain just friends with.

She hurriedly tried to pull back, an apology on the tip of her tongue when she felt a hand behind her preventing her from pulling away. Someone was rubbing soothing circles along her back and with a glorious shudder Maren realised it was Elsa, and that Elsa was hugging her back.

“Morning,” Maren croaked, slightly sheepish at the position they had found themselves in.

Elsa said nothing, her breathing hard, and Maren could see her pupils were blown wide. Maren could feel her heartrate picking up at the look of raw desire in the blue eyes.

“Maren.”

Maren didn’t know who initiated it, but in that moment their lips met. They were so close already that neither had to move much to make it happen. Blinding white light flooded her mind’s eye as she pressed herself hard into the kiss, pulling the blonde impossibly closer.

At Maren’s acceptance of their kiss, Elsa moaned and pushed against her, flipping Maren onto her back on her side of the bed, as Elsa continued to devour her lips. Maren’s breath caught in her throat at the surprising display of strength and she broke the kiss, gasping for air as she tried to figure out why she couldn’t breathe. Elsa _growled_ , and undeterred, started to make her way down Maren’s neck, Maren gladly arching her head back to grant her more access.

Elsa sucked hard against her collarbone, and Maren keened, lacing her hand into the platinum blonde locks as she held Elsa against her. As a searing tongue ran across the lovebite to soothe it, Maren gently tugged against her to get Elsa to look up.

“Els- Elsa… wait… wait!”

Elsa stopped immediately at Maren’s urging, taking Maren in with hungry eyes.

“What happened?” Maren was unable to think straight, her head muddled with desire, but she had to know, “I thought you didn’t want this.”

Elsa bit her lower lip, looking impossibly sexier in that moment, breathing hard through her nose.

“I want you, Maren,” she choked out, her voice strained with want, “I always have. I thought I could ignore it for the sake of our friendship, but I can’t. Not anymore.”

She moved up and rested her forehead on Maren’s, dark eyes piercing Maren’s. In an unexpectedly vulnerable whisper, Elsa asked.

“Will you have me, Honeymaren?”

Maren’s heart soared as blood rushed in her ears. It was the question she had always wanted to hear but didn’t dare dream for it to happen, and knew the answer intuitively.

“Gods, _yes_ ,” Maren groaned, “yes, _of course._ ”

It was all the confirmation Elsa needed, before her lips claimed Maren’s again, hungry and possessive. Maren was overwhelmed with the need for Elsa, only having enough presence of mind to respond to whatever those demanding lips wanted. A cold hand slipped under her shirt, and Maren moaned, nipping on Elsa’s lip unintentionally. Elsa reacted to the bite by digging her fingers into Maren’s stomach as their lips broke apart and she gasped. Her hand continued to dance along her ribcage tentatively, and Maren reached behind to unclasp her own bra, trying to encourage Elsa along.

Recognising the implicit consent given, Elsa slid her hand further up, even as her lips ventured down, trailing tender kisses along Maren’s neck. Her hand slipped under the loosened bra and squeezed lightly.

“Elsaaa…ah!”

Maren could feel Elsa smiling against her neck, as teeth dragged against her skin. She had no idea how long she had wanted the blonde like this. She wondered if she was still dreaming. Trying to find an anchor in reality, she reached for Elsa, but in Elsa’s eagerness, she knocked Maren’s hand out of the way, a hand wrapping itself around Maren’s wrist, holding her forearm down against the sheets, as Elsa pressed forward further, her lips back on hers. Maren’s felt herself grow wet between her legs at Elsa’s demonstration of dominance.

Slowly, while Elsa held her in place, her other hand slid from her breast down her stomach, wandering down till it reached the hem of her pants. Her fingers tickled along the skin of her lower abdomen. Elsa’s eyes opened again to look at Maren, seeking permission.

“ _Fuck_ … please, Elsa.”

Elsa smiled and nodded, a hand finally slipping under her pants and underwear, eventually hovering just above where her legs met. Maren caught a little uncertainty in Elsa’s expression, as though she wasn’t quite sure what to do, before she swallowed, and slid her fingers firmly down. Maren didn’t know what Elsa looked like then as her eyes squeezed shut, and she threw her head back as a long moan escaped her.

Maren had always admired Elsa’s fingers. They were long, slender and extremely dexterous. She would be lying if she said her mind hadn’t wandered in the past when she watched Elsa type away on her laptop, fiddle with the pages of her book, or held her pencil so skilfully. She didn’t need to wonder now how they would feel, as Elsa’s fingers explored her very wet folds.

Finding what she was looking for, Elsa pressed down on her clit, rubbing it in _just the right way_. Maren twisted out of Elsa’s grip only to turn her palm down to the sheets, fisting them in her hand. After teasing her entrance with a few strokes, Elsa finally slipped a finger in, bending it slightly. It hit a spot deep in Maren and she whimpered.

 _Elsa. Elsa_ was inside her. Her heart skipped several beats as the realisation washed over her again and again with every stroke of Elsa’s finger.

“Oh! Oh…” she panted, feeling herself clench around her.

Elsa moaned against her skin at the feeling of Maren squeezing her. By now Elsa had left her wrist alone and her free hand slipped between them, snaking itself under Maren’s shirt and bra again. Her touch was eager and hungry and Maren couldn’t help but arch into it, needing more.

Pushing her back up so high off the bed, her fists on the sheets supporting her, she was pressed into Elsa’s frame most intimately, wedging Elsa’s hand firmly between their torsos. In this position she could feel so much of Elsa, and she noticed that the other woman was _trembling_ …

_Wait, trembling?_

“Elsa…” she manged to choke out, “are you oka-”

Elsa was having none of it, and she let out a stuttering gasp as her mouth left Maren’s neck to clamp itself around Maren’s mouth, swallowing her questions of concern. A second finger joined the first inside Maren abruptly, as if to shut Maren up, and it worked, with the sudden stretch driving Maren’s mind blank. Soon, Elsa was rhythmically pumping them in and out of her, all the while rubbing her palm against her clit.

Maren thrashed about, choking out her name.

“Els-Els-Elsa… I’m gonna…”

And she broke, reaching up to cling onto Elsa, burying her face into the crook of her neck as she rode Elsa’s fingers, which were still feverishly working against her throughout her orgasm.

Eventually the waves of pleasure subsided, and she slumped back down, finally opening her eyes. Elsa was still staring at her, studying her, but much like how she had found her this morning, her eyes were filled with desire.

“Oh my gosh, Elsa,” Maren breathed, still panting hard.

Elsa blushed hard, before looking down between them, watching as she slipped her fingers out of Maren. Maren could feel that her fingers had a tremor.

“Did…did you enjoy that?”

Unable to see her face Maren thought Elsa was teasing just to have Maren stroke her ego. But the quaver in her voice and the tentative eyes that looked back up at her made Maren realise Elsa was being serious.

“Hell yeah!” she grinned up at Elsa, “I thought that was obvious…”

Elsa sat back, biting her lip again and looking slightly pink in the face.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure if you would… I’ve never… I’ve never really done that to someone before…”

“What?”

Maren couldn’t believe her ears. Elsa’s fingers were so _skilled_ , there was no other word to describe it.

“Obviously I’ve practised…” Elsa admitted, ears red now, even as she tried to roll her eyes to mask her shyness, “but you’re… you’re my first.”

Of course she was, Maren realised with a mixture of awe and guilt. She was, after all, the first person Elsa had come out to outside of her family. Maren realised how selfish she was, just taking everything Elsa had to give without reciprocating. She sat up to face Elsa properly.

“Oh. Wow. Elsa. Sorry, I should’ve figured. Man, that shouldn’t be how your first time should go down.”

Elsa looked hurt, as though she had somehow disappointed Maren in some way.

“No… no! I mean, I _loved_ it! _You_ were amazing,” Maren reached forward to cup Elsa’s cheek, drawing her in for a kiss.

When they broke apart, Maren continued, “can I return the favour?”

Elsa blushed hard, tensing and looking slightly nervous at the prospect. Maren backed off, giving her space. She was going to say something to give Elsa a way out, but then Elsa slowly nodded, not looking at her. Maren smiled warmly, leaning down to catch Elsa’s lips in a tender kiss, wanting to ease her slowly into things.

They were rudely interrupted by a loud ringing emitting from Elsa’s side table. Elsa broke apart with a groan.

“Dammit…” she grumbled to herself as she wriggled away from Maren to turn her phone alarm off.

“What is it?” Maren probed.

Elsa returned her phone to her table and snuggled back into Maren’s arms, asking in a tone that was kind of naïve in its seriousness, “I have a Zoom meeting with my boss in fifteen minutes, do you think we could be done by then?”

She leaned in to try and catch Maren’s lips, but Maren pulled back, laughing.

“Hey, what kind of woman do you think I am?”

She rubbed her hands soothingly up and down Elsa’s arms, trying to bring her down from the heat of the moment in other ways.

“I want you to enjoy your first time,” Maren explained, “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it properly. And I promise to make it an experience worth remembering.”

Elsa returned her smile with a watery one, touched by Maren’s gesture. She leaned in to catch Maren’s lips, as Maren continued to stroke her to calm her down from their arousal. Inside, Maren was on cloud nine. She was still trying to find her footing in what was now her reality. _Finally_.

-

Elsa re-emerged at the door with a huge grin on her face. She had gone out to the living room to conduct her meeting with her boss. Maren had stayed in Elsa’s bed, working on her laptop.

“Well?” Maren asked, looking up.

“She loves it,” Elsa replied, with barely-contained pride.

“Called it!”

“They planned to build it this summer, but I think in light of everything that’s happening it’s likely going to be pushed back to next year, but still… Maren, they’re going to build the pavilion!”

Elsa had sunk into her chair at that, kicking away so she spun on the spot in glee.

“That’s really cool. I can’t wait to visit it.”

Elsa stopped spinning and faced Maren.

“You should come. I mean if they invite me to the park opening or something. I dunno if they would though, it’s a really small pavilion. But still, if they do, you’re coming, right?”

Maren’s inside fluttered at the thought of Elsa making plans for the both of them more than a year ahead. She was never one for quick commitments in relationships, but for some reason she loved that Elsa was so sure of her. Maren was somehow so sure of Elsa too.

She reached out her hand to Elsa, hoping to pull her back into bed to pick up where they had left off. Elsa let herself be pulled back into the warmth of the bed.

“Of course I’m coming, I’m the muse. Without me there’d be no pavilion at all,” Maren smugly proclaimed, wrapping her arms lazily around Elsa’s form.

They shared a leisurely kiss, and Maren slowly deepened it, intending to bring Elsa back to the same levels of desire they had earlier this morning. It was working, and Elsa was responding with increasing fervour.

“Maren… Maren…” Elsa finally broke apart, looking incredibly torn.

She rested her forehead against Maren’s.

“I want to…” Elsa explained, “Gosh, I want to… but my boss wants a more detailed draft of the pavilion by tomorrow.”

Maren was disappointed, but knew Elsa was likely even more frustrated. She smiled encouragingly at Elsa.

“It’s okay, we can pick up later,” she encouraged, pulling away, “after all you’re stuck with me for so many more days, so we have all the time in the world.”

Elsa smiled at that, getting off her bed to return to her work desk.

“Would you work in here today?”

“I’d like that,” Maren gladly agreed.

-

“I have a question.”

Maren was lying on her front on top of the covers on Elsa’s bed, one of Elsa’s many pillows in her arms. She was starting to really like having those pillows around.

“Hmm?”

Elsa didn’t look up as she encouraged Maren, continuing to work at her desk.

“If I’m your first, who was the redhead?”

Elsa stilled at that, seeming to be suddenly very interested at something non-existent in the blank space of air in front of her.

“You know,” Maren closed her laptop and rolled over, her head hanging over the bed to look at Elsa upside down, “the one I mistook for Hans.”

Elsa placed her pencil down, rolling on her chair towards Maren.

“I’ll have to remember to never lie to you,” Elsa smiled, bopping her on the nose, “I’m surprised you picked up on that from our conversation that day.”

Maren swung the pillow, attempting to take a swipe at Elsa, but she swivelled away in time.

“Yeah you better keep that in mind,” Maren teasingly warned, “I’m a detective so I always find out the truth.”

Elsa laughed gently, before settling into seriousness again.

“Merida was a girl I met in high school,” she began, “we were both really young, so I don’t think we knew what we felt for each other.

“She was my first kiss.”

Maren giggled, “nice.”

Elsa sighed, continuing, “nothing happened after that, really. I think we were both kinda freaked out by all the surprising emotions that came along with the kiss and after that we just avoided each other. I know at least I definitely wasn’t ready to confront my attraction. Anyway, she moved to Scotland for University and I’ve never contacted her again.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Maren felt for Elsa, knowing that the homophobia she had felt for her entire life had led her to live a very deprived existence. But Elsa surprisingly shrugged, looking unbothered.

“Well, I’m not sorry it happened,” she shyly looked back at Maren, “in a way it made me realise that I liked women which then indirectly led me to you.”

Maren felt herself feeling flushed under the appreciative gaze. She rolled off the bed and walked to Elsa, swivelling her back to face the desk. Standing behind her, Maren leaned down and wrapped her arms around Elsa’s shoulder.

Kissing along her neck, she whispered in Elsa’s ear, “I guess it’s my turn to provide some motivation. If you get this done by tonight… I’ll show you what’s it really like to like women.”

She could feel the woman shiver in her arms, and Maren never felt more powerful.

-

“DRATS!” Came a shout from Elsa’s room.

Maren looked up from making dinner in the kitchen. She rushed over to the room to check out the commotion. Elsa spun round to face Maren, slumping in her chair. A lock of hair that fell on her face bounced as Elsa huffed in frustration. A smudge of paint was smeared on her cheek.

“What happened?” Maren probed.

“I used the wrong shade of brown!” Elsa complained, “Now I’ve got to start all over again. I think… I think I have to continue this after dinner. I’m sorry.”

Elsa was pouting. Maren had never seen her make that face before, and it made her want to simultaneously kiss her and laugh at her. It was adorable and hilarious.

Maren walked over, licking a thumb before using it to rub off the paint on Elsa’s cheek.

“Hey, come on now, it’s fine. It’s my pavilion, you have to make it perfect.”

Elsa snorted, “wow, the nerve of you. Did the Mona Lisa belong to Mona Lisa?”

“And did you just compare yourself to da Vinci?” Maren countered.

They both laughed, and Maren was glad Elsa was feeling better.

-

Maren couldn’t help but watch Elsa work from her place in Elsa’s bed. It was getting close to midnight but Elsa was nowhere near done. She sat hunched over her desk, completely oblivious to Maren’s staring, as she worked painstakingly carefully on her drawing. She wondered if Elsa had taken her words earlier to heart, and was endeavouring to produce as perfect a work as possible. Her heart warmed at that imaginary possibility. She couldn’t believe it, how after dancing around each other for what seemed like forever, they have finally given in to their feelings. She didn’t know why it had taken so long. What was holding them back. This felt so right. As she watched Elsa continue to paint, her form beautifully illuminated by her desk lamp, she was determined to spend the whole of tomorrow, or whenever Elsa let her, to treat her right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F I N A L L Y.
> 
> Everything moved so slowly with these two that I feel when the time came it would be like a dam breaking (sneak F2 reference attack) and they will just go all the way. That is probably the only way Dense-Maren will pick up on the signals I-Drew-A-Pavilion-For-You-Elsa has been giving her anyway. And like I said, _Elsa_ needs to be the one to take the first step to show some growth. But… after 9 days of torture I couldn’t just let Elsa have it, could I? Muahaha.
> 
> No seriously, I just think Elsa has wanted Maren for so long she would find it much easier to give rather than receive pleasure. She is after all Very Shy and Very Inexperienced. Don’t worry for Elsa though, now that Maren’s been given the go-ahead by Elsa, we should remember that Maren is THAT girl in the movie who said “you belong up here” to a woman she’s just met, and succeeded in making her ABDICATE, so she is one smooth MF. Okay, maybe worry for Elsa.
> 
> Let me know what you think! The explicit chapter(s)(yes, plural) make me so nervous I am editing this one right until the last second before I post it. But don't worry, the general idea of the next one is done.
> 
> See ya tomorrow!


	11. Day 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated **Explicit**.

**Thursday. 10.15am.**

Elsa awoke to hot, open-mouth kisses along her neck. She gasped, only to breathe in her favourite blend of honey and pine.

“Maren…” she moaned, lacing her fingers through the thick brown head of hair.

Lips reached up to silence her, and Elsa gladly heeded the command. Sure hands found their way under Elsa’s shirt, holding her firmly. Elsa arched her back upwards into those hands, trying to egg Maren on. Hands slid upwards, and fingers ghosted over Elsa’s bra, and Elsa’s breath caught, having never had anyone stroke her like that before.

Almost as quickly as they were there, Maren withdrew her hands, sliding them down Elsa’s sides. One of them slipped between Elsa’s legs and cupped her over her pants. Elsa jerked, grinding involuntarily into the hands, even as she blushed hard. Her whole body tensed. Maren could sense Elsa getting slightly overwhelmed, and she drew back, all hands completely off Elsa as she planted them on both sides of her head. Maren broke away from their kissing and looked down at Elsa.

Elsa wanted to say something to address her nervousness, to apologise for spoiling the moment, but Maren beat her to it.

“So… you’ve never been with a woman before,” Maren said breathlessly, “girl, are you in for a treat today.”

Elsa studied the devious smile on Maren’s face and gulped.

“Uhhh…. What are you planning to do to me?”

“You’ll see.”

Maren reached down to plant a chaste kiss on Elsa’s nose, before rolling off her, leaving Elsa wanting more. It was nice of Maren not to address Elsa’s nerves directly. Her making everything into a game was making everything easier for Elsa to confront. Maren was just so good to her.

Maren looked like she knew exactly what she was doing to Elsa, smirking as she climbed out of the bed. Elsa realised only then that Maren was already out of her pajamas and in her day clothes. She blushed, knowing that Maren had crawled back into bed solely to wake her up in that manner.

“As much as I would have loved to let you sleep in today, knowing how late you came to bed last night, you have to get dressed. The super called back and he’s coming with the new part for the heaters in about half an hour.”

-

“All done,” the super said, as he emerged from the hall to the girls waiting for him by the kitchen island, “the heaters should work like new now.”

“Thank you very much, Mr Kai,” Elsa said, holding a mug of hot coffee to him.

Mr Kai gladly accepted, taking a sip.

“How are you girls handling the quarantine?”

“Surviving,” Maren replied as she slid a hand to the small of Elsa’s back, a small smirk twitching on the edge of her lips, “the company helps.”

The warm hand slipped under her shirt to caress her back directly, and Elsa cleared her throat. Mr Kai was none the wiser, enjoying his coffee.

“This is great,” he sighed, “I miss coffee. The wife and I have been out of it for a couple of days now.”

“Oh gosh,” Elsa replied, relieved with an excuse to step away from Maren’s wandering hands, “here, please take some, we have more than enough.”

As Elsa returned with the spare jar of coffee grounds, she saw Maren staring at her with darkened eyes. She realised she must have exposed a sliver of torso as she reached to the high cabinet shelf to grab the coffee. She tugged her shirt down conservatively, turning her attention firmly back on the super.

“Gee, thanks, Gerda would be really happy to have that too.”

“Please don’t mention it and give your wife our best,” Elsa replied, doing her best to ignore Maren.

Maren had sidled up to her again, a foot running up against her calf under the kitchen counter, although above the countertop she was a vision of ignorance and innocence.

“I should be heading off now,” Mr Kai grunted, pushing himself off his bar stool, “you girls take care of each other.”

“Oh, we will,” Maren was the one who replied, a hand sliding surreptitiously onto Elsa’s bum, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Elsa emitted a squeak, and Mr Kai looked at her curiously.

“Door!” Elsa stuttered, “Let me get the door for you.”

The moment Elsa locked the door behind their super, Maren was on her again, pushing her gently but firmly against the door, lips hot on hers. The hand on her waist slid between them and slipped confidently into Elsa’s pants, testing to see if she was ready. Elsa was more than ready, given that Maren had spent the better part of Mr Kai’s visit teasing her. Maren stroked once, then twice, harder each time, and Elsa cried out, marvelling at the feel of another woman’s fingers on her most intimate area for the first time. Maren clamped her other hand over Elsa’s mouth.

“Shh… we’re up against the main door,” Maren murmured.

Elsa nodded, excited for Maren to continue but Maren pulled her hand out from her pants. Elsa groaned, her pelvis gyrating up illogically to chase the disappearing fingers.

“You told me you’ve, and I quote … ‘ _practised’_ ,” Maren continued to whisper against her ear, “so I’m gonna make sure the first time you’re made to come by a woman that isn’t yourself, it’s not going to be by her fingers.”

Maren leaned closer and ran her tongue down Elsa’s ear, before taking her earlobe in to nibble slightly, and Elsa knew exactly what Maren meant. She was panting hard by now, as she trembled at the idea of what Maren wanted to do, and how it would feel like. Maren pushed off from Elsa at that point, looking extremely mischievous.

“Unfortunately, I have to work,” she declared, “so unless you can find someone else in this apartment to show you the ropes, you’re going to have to wait.”

Elsa slammed her head back in frustration, before wincing and rubbing the back of her head in pain.

“Maren… you said I would enjoy this,” she grumbled.

“And you don’t?” Maren raised an eyebrow cockily, but Elsa detected a hint of uncertainty in Maren’s tone.

And Elsa knew that with just one word she could either call the whole thing off or have Maren then and there. But she could see that Maren wanted to ease her into everything, to get her to enjoy the buildup and get used to each step forward before taking the next one. It was incredibly hot and thoughtful at the same time, and Elsa hated to admit that she loved it.

“No, I do…” Elsa closed her eyes, trying to calm down, “a little too much, I think.”

Maren shrugged, striding away, “that’s your problem.”

Elsa mumbled some incoherent swears to herself as she followed Maren into the hall to head to her own room. A defiant thought struck her. She could find her own release if Maren wasn’t going to help her.

Turning to her room, she heard Maren call out to her.

“Elsa?”

“Yes Maren?”

Elsa peeked out, and by the look on Maren’s face Elsa knew that her eager voice had given her away.

In a voice Elsa only heard when Maren was on the phone with her uniformed colleagues, Maren commanded, “Don’t even think about it.”

 _Fuck_.

-

At 3pm Elsa entered Maren’s room, a cup of tea and some biscuits on a plate.

“I baked some biscuits,” Elsa explained, setting the plate down by Maren.

She was taking a break today given that she managed to finish the drafts her boss wanted in the wee hours of that morning.

“Trying to butter me up?”

“Is it working?”

She didn’t care that she was sounding so desperate. Maren laughed, picking up a biscuit.

“That depends…” she took a bite and moaned in pleasure, abandoning that train of thought to say, “oh my gosh, Elsa, this is delicious.”

“I’m glad.”

Elsa caught Maren’s wrist before she could bring it to her mouth for another bite. She brought the hand to her own mouth, taking the remaining biscuit between her teeth. She moved further, taking in Maren’s thumb and index finger in too, all the while keeping her eyes on Maren’s.

Maren seemed momentarily lost for words, her pupils widening as she breathed harder. Elsa sucked once before releasing her fingers with a pop, straightening and looking like she didn’t know the effect that had on Maren.

“It’s delicious, if I do say so myself,” Elsa said, licking her lips.

Dissatisfied with the shift in power, Maren wrapped her arms around Elsa’s waist and pulled her towards her. Elsa let out a yelp and planted her hands on Maren’s shoulders to steady herself. With Maren in the seating position, her face was at the level of Elsa’s abdomen. Maren dipped her head under her shirt, nuzzling against the sensitive bare skin there. Elsa’s stomach fluttered.

Her hands clutching possessively over Elsa’s bottom, Maren trailed a series of slow tantalising kisses from under her ribcage, down to her belly button and along her navel, leaving Elsa whimpering and clutching her shoulder harder. Almost as though she knew the exact moment Elsa would push her down further to finish what she started, Maren drew away, incorrigible and smug.

Two can play at this game. Two should, that was the goal Elsa was trying to achieve after all.

She reached behind Maren’s shoulder to tug Maren’s braid gently, but enough to drive the point home. She needed to take back a little bit of control.

“6pm. Finish your work by then. That is all the time I’m going to give you.”

Maren leaned back obediently, her eyes glazed as she looked like she was doubting whether she could last that long. Elsa loved that she too had a hold over Maren, it made it so easy for Elsa to surrender to Maren whenever Maren wanted to direct their interaction.

Eventually Maren released her, not before giving her bum a little pinch, and Elsa let out something between a gasp and a moan.

“I’ll be done when I am done. Crime doesn’t respect fixed hours.”

_Hot. Hot. Hot._

-

Her door swung open and Maren stepped in, her expression one of raw desire. Elsa was sat curled up in bed, reading a book. She chanced a glance at her bedside clock and smiled.

 _5.45pm_. Someone had been an unexpectedly efficient worker. She was about to say as much to tease Maren but her words died at her lips as she saw the dark look in Maren’s eyes, as she stalked towards the bed like a huntress after her prey.

Elsa swallowed, putting her book aside. She was transfixed by Maren, who had climbed onto the bed and was making her way slowly towards her corner. Her form finally hovering over Elsa, Maren drank in the sight of Elsa beneath her, before she could hold back no longer and dived down, capturing Elsa’s lips in a searing kiss.

Elsa sighed into Maren in relief, surprising herself as despite her feigned confidence she had expected to be incredibly tense when the moment finally arrived. Before they knew it they were peeling each other’s clothes off. Elsa was extremely eager to get rid of the cumbersome fabric barriers. The nerves were gone, and she didn’t have enough patience to entertain thoughts about what another person would think of her body. Scratch that, she _wanted_ Maren to see her body. That was a shocking thought, and Elsa smiled to herself even as she helped Maren with the last scrap of clothing by shimmying her hips and legs as Maren tugged her panties off.

Her heart swarmed with affection for the woman above her as she recognised the full impact of what Maren had been trying to achieve all along. All the tempting, all the stalling, the teasing and the pulling back, all that led to this, pure passion with no shyness. It was so worth it. She wouldn’t have wanted her first time any other way. Only Maren would care so much. Maren was a genius. Maren was perfect. Maren was –

She couldn’t think what else Maren was, as Maren must have sensed that Elsa was lost inside herself, and determined to bring Elsa’s attention back to her, she had clamped her mouth over one of Elsa’s breast, sucking hard.

“Honey!” she gasped, arching her back up further.

It had slipped out unexpectedly, as it always did with Elsa when she was caught off guard thinking about Maren, and Elsa wondered if Maren would hate it. But Maren seemed to lean in towards her further at that, moaning appreciatively against her skin.

“So fucking beautiful, gods…” Maren murmured against her skin, as her hands joined her mouth to explore Elsa all over.

Her hot breath, the reverence in her words, and her hungry hands over her skin was glorious.

Maren continued to work down her body, setting fire to everywhere she touched. She finally settled herself between Elsa’s legs, and Elsa instinctively parted them further to give her more space. She knew Maren could see how wet she was. She should be embarrassed by her obvious arousal, but she didn’t care. Where was the propriety her upbringing had so mercilessly drummed into her? Oh, _fuck_ propriety, she thought, when she saw the look of pure acceptance and want in Maren’s eyes, this felt right.

Almost in slow motion Maren lowered herself, her eyes shifting up to fix on Elsa’s. In one deliberate, languid motion, Maren dipped her tongue between her folds and explored them firmly.

“Ohhhhh… fuuuuck….” Elsa moaned out, throwing her head back in complete pleasure.

There was no way. No, way, it could feel this good. Never in her wildest imagination did she think it would feel like it did. But here she was, and Elsa could never have been more pleased that for once, her ability to visualise things before they materialised that had served her career so well had failed her so completely.

Maren chuckled, obviously very pleased by the reaction her ministrations had elicited, and the force and vibration of that action made Elsa cry out, her legs working distinct from her mind and slamming into the sides of Maren’s head. She hurriedly let go to grant Maren some space, but Maren firmly wrapped her hands around her thighs, holding them in place.

Maren found her clit, and wrapping her lips around her teeth, nipped at it lightly.

“Ahhh!”

Elsa cried out, but had to take in another breath again as Maren subsequently sucked against her, pressing her tongue hard against her clit. She reached down to lace her fingers in Maren’s hair, forcing Maren harder against her. Despite being held in a near vice grip, Maren managed to shift her head down, her tongue leaving her clit and dipping down to tease at her entrance.

Her tongue pushed in and stroked inside her, driving Elsa wild above her. She was so deep inside now that her nose rocked against Elsa’s clit. She continued to slide in and out of her, attentive as always and responding to Elsa’s cries and directing her speed and strokes accordingly.

Elsa shot up from the bed, her back arched almost painfully as her hands flung out to support her weight and cling onto the sheets beneath as she came undone against the lips of another woman for the first time. She shook and squirmed, her hips paradoxically curling away at the sheer intensity of the sensations, even as her mind screamed for them to rock harder against Maren. Maren understood, and strong arms locked over her thighs to pull her in, her tongue and lips merciless as she worked to prolong Elsa’s peak.

Elsa was gasping and choking and panting as she rode the waves of pleasure out, before she slumped back down on the bed, exhausted even though Maren did all the work. Her cries echoed in her head. She didn’t know she could be so loud, having always succeeded to keep quiet when she worked at herself.

Maren crawled slowly up her body, settling to rest her forehead against Elsa’s. Her lips were glistening most enticingly and Elsa couldn’t resist, reaching up to kiss her, tasting herself on Maren’s lips. She moaned into Maren’s mouth.

Maren was relentless, sliding an arm round Elsa’s back to pull her up against her, she turned them so now Maren was sitting up against the headboard. She shifted Elsa to straddle one of her thighs. Nudging up, she rubbed her bare thigh up against Elsa, and Elsa whimpered even as she bore down, her most intimate area extremely sensitive after her orgasm but unable to keep away from the contact. Maren settled her hands on Elsa’s hips, directing her to grind herself down against her.

It was so much. But never too much. Never, with Maren, as brown eyes watched her every response protectively while firm hands guided her gyrations against her thigh. Elsa never had multiple orgasms before, always doing enough to keep the edge at bay so she could move on with her life. But now she was rocking herself against the leg between her as though her life depended on reaching the second peak.

She rested her forehead against Maren, looking down between them at their connection. For the first time, she was looking at Maren properly. She sighed appreciatively, running a hand down Maren’s chest. Goosebumps trailed her hand and Maren’s nipples hardened. Elsa ghosted her fingers over one, hearing Maren gasp softly.

“You’re beautiful…” Elsa breathed, as her hand snaked further down over the toned abs, and action she wanted to perform ever since the first time she caught Maren in a sports bra.

She dipped further down, exploring the folds between Maren’s legs. They were soaking wet too. Maren jerked her thigh up against Elsa at the contact. It didn’t take as long as it did the first time, with Elsa working herself against Maren’s thigh and her fingers working themselves inside Maren, and Elsa broke again, falling into Maren as she panted hard against the crook of Maren’s neck. Maren wrapped her arms around Elsa to hold her up and rubbed her back soothingly.

Maren patiently calmed Elsa down, even though Elsa could tell that she had not reached her peak. She looked up from resting against Maren’s shoulder to find Maren smiling peacefully back at her despite her evident arousal.

“So?” Maren asked.

“So what?”

Elsa’s mind was still hazey.

“Still gay?”

Elsa choked out a laugh at the completely unexpected question. It was a cheeky way of asking if Elsa had enjoyed her first time without drawing direct attention to the fact and making Elsa feel uncomfortable about her relative lack of experience.

“Very much so. Oh gosh, Maren, that was so… wow.”

“I told you so.”

The confidence of this woman. But her confidence rubbed off on Elsa too.

“Yes. Yes, you did,” Elsa leaned in to capture Maren’s lips briefly, curling the finger that was still inside Maren and causing Maren to groan into her, “but you should also know, I’m a fast learner.”

She kissed her way down Maren’s neck and torso, her hand all the while working fast against Maren, and Maren leaned back, granting Elsa access to anywhere she wanted. Arriving at her destination, she replaced her fingers with her mouth and Maren’s cry sounded almost triumphant.

She tasted different from Elsa, and the newness of the sensation drove Elsa deeper with a curiosity to explore it more. She fumbled a little, but continued to work enthusiastically, trying to remember what Maren did that she had liked.

Saying nothing, Maren reached between them to work a finger at her entrance. Elsa realised she probably wasn’t giving Maren enough but Maren was too polite to say anything about it. Her hand found Maren’s and she stilled them.

“Show me,” she asked, looking up at Maren.

Maren smiled back at Elsa, covering her hand with hers and directing two of Elsa’s fingers into her. Elsa pushed them in, as her mouth focused on Maren’s clit.

“Yesss,” Maren hissed, breaking eye contact to close her eyes in pleasure.

With Maren’s gentle guidance Elsa coaxed her to her peak, and at that moment she pulled Elsa’s hand away from between her legs to lace her fingers between hers. As Maren came into her mouth, Elsa savoured every movement of her thrashing in her throes of pleasure, gripping her hand tightly in response. Maren pulled Elsa back up via their joined hands and they settled comfortably into each other’s arms.

“You are a fast learner,” Maren admitted, a finger tracing lazy patterns over Elsa’s shoulder, “that was… the best I ever had.”

Elsa blushed.

“You’re not just saying that are you.”

“I must ask again, have you ever known me to lie?”

“I guess not,” Elsa agreed, feeling convinced.

“Well _you_ are the best I ever had too.”

And they both laughed at the redundance of Elsa’s remark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am incredibly grateful for all the reviews :) Sometimes I don't have a witty comeback to them, but I want y'all to know that every single one makes me grin like a fool.
> 
> Cheers,  
> Blackthorn


	12. Day 12

**Friday. 9.00am.**

“Elsa? Finally! Gosh it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, I’ve started talking to your picture on the wall.”

Maren heard Anna’s voice drift in from the living room, waking her up. She flung her arm at the empty space beside her, confirming that Elsa had left the bed.

“You’re technically still talking to a picture of me,” came Elsa’s reply, “where’s mum and dad and Olaf?”

“Let me check if they texted,” came Anna’s voice, and after a beat, “mum says dad is still trying to figure out how to connect to Skype… anyway, they’ll come on when they come on. So… how’re things? What’s the update on Project Beekeeping -”

“Shhh… Anna! She may be asleep but she can still hear you!”

Maren snorted. Project Beekeeping… what the hell? But it was another reference to her name that she didn’t know she would like until she heard it, and she found herself smiling.

She got out of bed, yawning and stretching. She had not felt so relaxed in a long time, Elsa provided very effective _stress relief_ the whole night. Looking around the room for something to wear, she picked out her pajama pants from the floor and Elsa’s jumper that was slung over her chair.

She headed out of the room to wash up in the bathroom. She didn’t see Elsa sitting by the kitchen counter in a way that her laptop screen faced directly into the hall.

“WAIT WHO’S THAT BEHIND YOU!” Anna squealed, “OH MY GOSH IS THAT HONEYMAREN? COMING OUT OF YOUR ROOM? IN AN ARENDELLE UNIVERSITY SWEATER? HOLY SH-”

“Huh?!” Elsa exclaimed in panic, cutting Anna off.

Maren inwardly cursed, looking down at the jumper once more. Large bold prints were stencilled across the front proclaiming the name of Elsa’s Alma Mater, and the jumper was in the signature shades of green, purple and gold that was instantly recognisable and attributed to the famed University. Of course, Anna would have picked up on the fact that Maren was wearing Elsa’s clothes.

She turned around to meet Elsa’s eyes apologetically. Elsa was standing up facing her, her body shielding the screen. Elsa looked really embarrassed at the excited shrieking coming out from the speakers behind her.

“ELSA SIT DOWN! YOU’RE BLOCKING EVERYTHING! MAREN COME SAY HI! LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A LOT TO CATCH UP ON!”

Elsa shrugged, silently asking if Maren wanted to come over to talk to Anna. Maren swallowed, and walked over, giving Anna a small wave as Elsa stepped aside.

“Hi Anna…”

“So, so, so…? What’s this?” Anna looked between Elsa and Maren repeatedly, her eyes trying to take in everything and catch any little hints alluding to their relationship they were foolish enough to let slip.

“Now, Anna, before you read too much into it…”

The black window on Elsa’s split screen flickered before it went black again. At that, Elsa gasped and shoved Maren out of frame. It was a little rough, but it hurt emotionally more than it did physically.

“Mum, Dad, you there?” Anna asked, distracted by the same flicker on her own screen.

“Sorry!” Elsa whispered to Maren, just realising what she did.

She gave Maren a once-over, dread and fear in her eyes. It made Maren feel uncomfortable.

“Sorry could you change?” Elsa asked, voice low so Anna or her parents wouldn’t hear.

Both of them looked at the Arendelle University jumper.

“I… yeah, I guess.”

Maren slipped away, leaving Elsa to coordinate with Anna on connecting their parents into their video-chat. She couldn’t help but feel very small because of Elsa’s request. But she tried to understand, given what Elsa had told her about her parents’ struggles with her sexuality.

She looked through her wardrobe to find something to change into, feeling an unexplainable urge to look impressive in front of Mr and Mrs Arendelle. This was feeling awfully familiar, and she thought back to the Smiths.

She eventually settled on jeans and a chiffon work blouse, figuring it looked smart, but casual enough to fit into the home setting. She stared at the mirror and combed her hair into place, before taking a deep breath and heading back out.

“And Elsa, are you eating?” came a man’s voice, “Coming out of your room for some fresh air? Talking to people?”

There was a tender concern to the voice, and Maren wondered how someone who evidently cared so much for his daughter could reject her on something which seemed so straightforward and simple to Maren. But the content of the questions also gave Maren some insight into the depth of Elsa’s depression in her youth.

“Yes, father,” Elsa softly replied, her tone slightly posher than Maren was used to, “I’ve been fine.”

She emerged into the living area, and heads on the screen turned to her.

“Honeymaren Nattura?” Mrs Arendelle spoke first, “my dear, look how you’ve grown! You’re beautiful!”

Maren couldn’t help but smile widely at the warm greeting. Elsa pulled a stool beside her, beckoning Maren over. That was a good sign.

Maren settled beside Elsa, keeping a proper distance. She studied the figures on the screen. Mr and Mrs Arendelle were huddled in one window, Mrs Arendelle peering approvingly at Maren. Mr Arendelle was now distracted by a very active boy climbing all over him. Anna and Kristoff were in another window, and Maren saw herself and Elsa in the last one, sitting the furthest apart.

“Hello Mr and Mrs Arendelle, it has been a long time, you both look great too,” Maren replied.

At the new voice, the boy in Mr Arendelle’s arms turned to the screen, clambering over.

“Who is that?”

“Olaf, this is Honeymaren, an old friend of ours from before you were born,” Elsa explained.

“Honey… honeyma… honeyma… that’s a funny name. Hi Honey! I’m Olaf and I like warm hugs!” Olaf finished, not bothering to learn her full name.

She chuckled. She could see why the boy was so dear to Elsa.

“Hi Olaf, I like warm hugs too. Maybe one day I can go over and give you one.”

Mrs Arendelle smiled at that.

“Of course! We must have you, Ryder and your parents over soon! How are they?”

Maren felt a mix of emotions, feeling heartened to receive the invitation, but unreasonably also wishing that Elsa’s mother had invited her only on the basis of her relationship with Elsa. Which they didn’t know about. Maren pushed those negative thoughts away, replying that her family has been doing great.

“Maren’s been a great friend during this whole quarantine business,” Elsa replied, sitting ramrod straight, looking like a pupil eager for her teacher’s approval.

“Oh, I’m sure she has,” Anna supplemented, studying the both of them with unsuppressed glee. But she said it innocently enough to give nothing away.

“That’s wonderful, Elsa. And it’s nice to see you again, Honeymaren,” Mr Arendelle said, pleased.

The Arendelles slipped into casual conversation, exchanging updates on their wellbeing. Maren watched Kristoff drape an arm around Anna like it was the most natural thing to do, and her parents didn’t react to it. In his new position a large hickey was evident on his neck.

Maren wanted to laugh. Evidently, Elsa had been exaggerating how badly the couple was taking being cooped up together for so long. If Maren could see it Mr and Mrs Arendelle could certainly see it too, but they didn’t bring it up. And here she was being asked to change out of Elsa’s sweater. She wondered if she would ever progress far enough in her relationship with Elsa to be allowed to display any affection towards Elsa in front of her parents.

“Enjoying your new frosty machine, Olaf?” Anna asked, as they watched the boy slurping noisily at a frozen drink.

“He has his own slushie maker?” Maren blurted out loud.

She was still surprised by the occasional displays of the Arendelles’ wealth.

Mrs Arendelle caught it and replied, smiling proudly at Elsa, “Elsa bought it for him with some of her North Mountain Tower paycheck. He loves it very much.”

Maren caught Elsa’s eye and they exchanged a loving smile. Mr Arendelle cleared his throat.

“Anyway, Elsa, I’ve been meaning to bring this up with you,” he began.

A nervous tremble underlined his tone, and he sounded and looked like Elsa did when she was anxious.

“The Duke of Weselton called the other day…”

 _Woah, they are friends with Dukes?_ Elsa and Anna were so down-to-earth Maren often forgot they were descended from royals, and were very much still considered high society.

“… his son has just gotten a job at a law firm in Arendelle,” her father continued.

Elsa visibly tensed.

“He’s planning to move to the city as soon as the whole outbreak settles down. I hope… I hope you would make some time to meet with him.”

Maren’s heart sank, but she tried to keep her expression neutral. She watched Elsa from the corner of her eye. She was unreadable.

“Father…” Anna stepped in, eyes also studying Elsa.

“He’s a very nice boy, I have met him on several occasions when he was doing his internship under the firm that represents our foundation. Like you he is very intelligent and likes to read, he has a good job and comes from a family we know well.”

“Father,” Anna said a little more sternly.

“Just… meet with him,” Mr Arendelle finished, exhaling in relief as he reached the end of his obviously-prepared speech, “that’s all I’m asking.”

There was a long pause as everyone watched Elsa and her father, both looking equally uncomfortable with the situation. Olaf burped.

Maren didn’t know what she wanted Elsa to say. Did she want Elsa to say no? Was she even in a position to want Elsa to say no? She was way out of her depth.

“I guess… I could do that….” Elsa finally said.

Maren felt the room shift around her. _Steady, now_ , she focused on her breathing. She looked over at Elsa, but Elsa was determinedly avoiding her gaze.

“Elsa…” Anna began, shifting her pleas from their father to her.

“Great. That settles it,” Mr Arendelle smiled, looking very pleased, “the Duke would be happy to hear that.”

Olaf directed everyone to look at a leaf he had been keeping in his pocket, and everyone was subsequently distracted with consoling him when he realised it had started to turn brown and die.

“Some things never change, huh.” Anna said, in response to something that Maren must have missed caught up in her own spiralling thoughts, but she saw Anna looking at her father pointedly before glancing at Elsa with concern.

Eventually, the conversations died down naturally, and the Arendelles bade goodbye to each other.

Elsa closed her laptop, deep in thought. Maren decided to give her some space, getting up from her own seat. She wanted to get away to sort out her own feelings too, before she said something regrettable to Elsa. Elsa’s phone rang, and Elsa fished it out, Maren could see on the screen that it was Anna. Obviously wanting to talk about the Duke’s son and their father and Maren and everything. Elsa pressed the red phone icon and shoved it back into her pocket, turning to face Maren squarely.

Her eyes were pleading.

“Maren…” Elsa began, “I know what you’re thinking…”

“You can’t possibly know that.”

Maren tried to keep it light, trying and failing at a smile. She hated that her voice was so high.

“It’s just a meeting. That’s all I promised… just to get my father of my back.”

“Hey, sure, I get it.”

It sounded unnatural. But she did. She did get it. It was just too close to Maren’s old wounds, which felt they were being ripped open again after she had painstakingly stitched them up after John.

“I mean, we haven’t even said what this thing between us is anyway… who says you can’t go after someone else? We aren’t even officially toge-…”

She couldn’t say it. She didn’t want it to be true. She wanted to be with Elsa.

“I’m not going after someone else!” Elsa tried, stepping forward to try and catch Maren’s eyes, “it’s just… with my father… this is complicated.”

“Of course it is. It always is when it comes to the parents isn’t it?”

That wasn’t fair. She was projecting her past issues onto Elsa. This was different. There were more layers here. Or were there? John didn’t want to stand up for her. Did Elsa want to? It was as simple as that.

“Look, Elsa,” Maren tried to explain, “you know the thing is, you agreeing to meet with this lawyer guy is not even what upsets me. I know you don’t actually _want_ to meet him. This is for your father. I understand. He would disapprove of us. You’ve tried to come out to him and you’ve suffered because of it. So yeah… meet him.”

“Maren…”

“I’m not going to force you to come out to your family for my sake if you’re not ready. I’m not going to be that kind of person.”

She looked straight at Elsa.

“I just need to know… if you ever plan on bringing our relationship further? If you can see a time in the future, and I’m not even setting a deadline, how ever far away, where you could openly be with me? Because… I don’t think I can do this thing, be together with someone I could really love, and not have them value our relationship the way it should be valued. I promised myself that.”

Elsa looked trapped. It was a heartbreaking sight. Maren didn’t want to be the cause of it, but she couldn’t do this to herself again, not after the hell she went through with her self-esteem after John. She thought she was the kind of girl who could carry on a secret relationship for someone she cared about, never being able to proudly show her love, but it turned out she couldn’t.

She waited for Elsa to answer. Eventually, Elsa tried.

“Maren… I wish I could say something like that at this moment... But for my family I …”

Maren felt her eyes burn with tears. Again, with the _noble_ intentions. She sure knew how to pick them. Elsa faltered, and Maren knew she must have looked extremely pained for her to stop talking.

A ringing broke the silence again. Elsa checked her phone. It wasn’t hers. Shaking herself out of her trance, Maren reached for her own phone and saw that Yelana was calling.

“Shit, this is my sergeant, I have to get this,” Maren looked nervously at Elsa.

Elsa nodded.

“Sarge?” Maren answered the phone, turning away from Elsa.

“Nattura,” Yelana barked over the phone, “I’m going to have to call you in from your administrative stint early.”

It was the worst possible time for this to happen.

“One of the uniformed officers is down with allergies, but to be on the safe side, I’ve put him on sick leave. It isn’t detective work but I’m gonna need you to step down and do some patrol work to cover for him. Manpower is really tight at the moment.”

“Yes ma’am, of course.”

“Good. I’ve put myself down for patrol too for his partner who is having a baby, so we can work the eleventh avenue together later. I’m already on the way, will be at your place to pick you up in ten.”

Maren admired her commanding officer for stepping down to do patrol work too.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Yelana cut the phone off and Maren turned to Elsa apologetically.

“Elsa, I’m really sorry, but I have to go to work.”

“Maren, if I could just - ”

It was the first time Maren was conflicted about her job. She wanted to stay and work this out with Elsa.

“I’m sorry my sergeant is already on her way and I really need to get changed.”

Elsa let her leave and she hurried to her room, rummaging through her clothes to pull out her uniform. It had been a long time since she had use for it given that she was now a detective, and it took the better part of the ten minutes Yelana had given her to find it. She shoved herself quickly into them. Sergeant Yelana didn’t like to wait.

She headed out past the living area, hand resting on the main door. She turned back to find that Elsa was still rooted to the same spot. She looked close to tears. Maren took a deep breath. No matter what, Elsa was really important to her, and she didn’t want to lose her.

“We’ll talk later, okay?” Maren said gently, “I need to protect my heart. I’m sorry but I have to. But I promise you, that whatever happens, whatever we decide, I will always be your friend. I will be here for you, if you will still have me.”

Tears slid down Elsa’s face at that. And Maren wanted to pull her in for a hug. But at that moment, Yelana’s car siren rang out from the streets below, causing Elsa to jump.

“Now I really got to go,” Maren mumbled apologetically, before she headed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there is a reason why honeymaren has an essential-services job despite this being a quarantine fic, so this can happen at the worst possible time ><  
> don't kill me


	13. Day 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live for the reactions in the comments hahaha  
> Although I was worried that Maren would also come off looking unsympathetic in the previous chapter. Especially since she knew Elsa's coming out troubles three years ago and remained unwavering. I am glad you guys saw where she was coming from and didn't tear her down, you guys are the best :)  
> 

**Saturday. 1.00pm.**

Elsa sat curled up in the couch, looking through the messages in her phone, trying to find strength in them to do what she needed to do.

She first clicked the chat log she shared with Maren.

Yesterday, 2027H, **Honeymaren Nattura** : _Several arrests today. Gotta stay and finish the paperwork. Don’t wait up._

Yesterday, 2027H, **You** : _Please wake me up when you come home. I really want to talk._

Seen by **Honeymaren Nattura** yesterday, 2030H.

Today, 0149H, **Honeymaren Nattura** : _I’ve just been informed. Going to have to cover the afternoon shift later today as well. Will just crash at the station for now. Might only be back on Sunday if I end too late. I’m sorry._

Today, 0150H, **You** : _Okay. Please take care out there._

Today, 0150H, **Honeymaren Nattura** : _Gosh, Elsa. It’s 2am. Please go to sleep._

She sighed and flipped over to the log she shared with Anna.

Yesterday, 1017H, **Anna** : _Hey, please call me back when you can. I didn’t want to call again in case you were sorting things out with Maren._

Yesterday, 1200H, **Anna** : _Elsa?_

Seen by **You** yesterday, 1306H.

Yesterday, 1438H, **Anna** : _I saw you read my messages. Please Elsa, just a text to say if you’re okay or if you are still busy talking to Maren._

Yesterday, 1445H, **You** : _Maren got called in to work. Don’t worry, I’m okay. Please don’t call me when you read this._

Yesterday, 1446H, **Anna** : _…_

Yesterday, 1446H, **Anna** : _that doesn’t sound like everything’s okay._

Yesterday, 1447H, **Anna** : _Will you at least talk to me here?_

Yesterday, 1505H, **You** : _Obviously Maren’s upset with what I told dad just now. Can’t say I blame her._

Yesterday, 1506H, **Anna** : _Why is she upset? So you and her… you’re together…?_

Yesterday, 1506H, **You** : _I don’t actually know what we are now. But yes, for a brief moment there, we were. I think?_

Yesterday, 1507H, **Anna** : _Gosh, sis. You have to call it off with the Duke’s son. At least just tell dad you can’t meet him. Not after this._

Seen by **You** yesterday, 1507H.

Yesterday, 1623H, **Anna** : _Elsa? Don’t tell me you’re planning to go through with what dad wants._

Yesterday, 1711H, **You** : _I don’t know… things between dad and I are so good right now._

Yesterday, 1711H, **Anna** : _Elsa._

Yesterday, 1712H, **You** : _Besides_

Yesterday 1713H, **You** : _I don’t think there’s anything between me and Maren anymore to prevent me from meeting him._

1 missed call from **Anna** yesterday, 1714H.

Yesterday, 1714H, **Anna** : _Elsa, please. What is going on? What happened between you and Maren?_

Yesterday 1720H, **You** : _I think I hurt her really badly._

Yesterday 1721H, **Anna** : _???_

Yesterday 1723H, **You** : _Remember that navy guy? The one you saw in her posts from uni? She broke up with him because his parents disapproved of her. Something got to do with her race. It broke her heart._

Yesterday 1725H, **Anna** : _Shit._

Yesterday 1725H, **Anna** : _But Elsa. This is different. I don’t think it’s just that. It can’t be._

Yesterday 1726H, **Anna** : _That Smith guy must have been okay with his parents’ disapproval. He must’ve showed it somehow. I don’t know him but I know Maren and I don’t think she’s the kind of person to leave a guy just because of his family._

Yesterday 1727H, **Anna** : _You’re different. You know our parents are being unreasonable with what they want from you._

Yesterday 1727H, **Anna** : _You know that, right?_

Yesterday, 1731H, **You** : _It’s not so black and white, Anna. This issue… it’s so important to them. You saw how unhappy everyone was the last time. And it was all my fault._

Yesterday 1732H, **Anna** : _Please don’t say that, please. That time we were all unhappy because of a lot of things. You are who you are, and if our parents choose to be unhappy with that, that’s on them. You are not responsible for their choices, Elsa._

Yesterday 1733H, **Anna** : _You need to stop trying to be everything for everyone._

Seen by **You** yesterday, 1733H.

1 missed call from **Anna** yesterday, 1902H.

Yesterday 1903H, **Anna** : _Would you please talk to our parents?_ _If you don’t want to tell them everything, just at least cancel plans with the Duke’s son first. That’ll give you some room to work with Maren._

Yesterday 1931H, **Anna** : _Did you talk to mum and dad? Are you okay? Did you talk to Maren after? Is she okay?_

Seen by **You** yesterday, 2027H.

Yesterday 2100H, **You** : _Maren isn’t home yet. She’ll be really late tonight._

Yesterday 2101H, **You** : _Also, I don’t think telling dad I’m not going to meet the Duke’s son is going to fix anything with Maren._

Yesterday 2101H, **You** : _She doesn’t care if I meet him or not, she just wants to know where I see this relationship going._

Yesterday 2102H, **You** : _She previously told me she promised herself that whoever she ends up with, is going to have to be proud of her. And she deserves that, Anna._

Yesterday 2102H, **Anna** : _Wow, Maren is… wow. Honestly, Elsa she’s amazing._

Yesterday 2103H, **Anna** : _This actually makes things easier, doesn’t it? All she wants is to know you are proud to be with her and want to work on a future together. You are proud to be with her, aren’t you?_

Yesterday 2104H, **Anna** : _Aren’t you, Elsa?_

A tear dripped down onto her phone screen.

This question shouldn’t be difficult to answer. She hated she was being so unfair to Maren for not having an answer to that. _Of course_ she was proud of Maren. Maren in the general sense. Just not quite proud to _be with-_

Elsa shuddered. She couldn’t finish that thought.

It was a lot better than it was in her teenage years, but sometimes she still resented her sexuality. She knows she shouldn’t, and everyday she was getting less and less guilty and more and more rightfully proud of it. But she didn’t know if the time that it would take to get to where she really needed to be would be too much for Maren.

_“… If you can see a time in the future, and I’m not even setting a deadline, how ever far away, where you could openly be with me…”_

That was all Maren wanted. She cannot blame Maren for her own reluctance. All Maren wanted was for Elsa to work at it. To work on them. No ultimatum, no deadline, no unrealistic expectations.

The realisation hit her hard like a dam broken down, and Elsa took a deep breath at the overwhelming rush of strength that flowed through her. Feeling incredibly empowered, she knew she could open herself to love. She had the strength to be who she needed to be. She knew what she needed to do. Not for Maren, Maren didn’t need her to do this, but she needed to do this for herself.

-

After a few rings, the screen on her phone lit up, and she was staring at the two large front teeth of her younger brother, his breathing hard and loud against the speakers as Olaf stood right up against their family’s video phone.

“Ahtohallan Estate, Iduna and Agnarr can’t come to the phone right now. Can I take a message?” Olaf rattled on, a rehearsed speech that their parents had taught him.

“Olaf, sweetie, you need to step back a bit so I can see your face,” Elsa replied.

“Elsa?” Olaf shifted back, and his delighted face filled the screen.

“What’s up, buddy? Where’s Mama and Papa?”

“Papa when to the pharmacy to collect some of my medi… medicat- my medicines, Mama is in the kitchen right now.”

“Do you think you could get her for me?”

“Yeah, why?” Olaf nodded enthusiastically, but he didn’t move an inch.

Elsa laughed.

“I just want to talk to her about something.”

Olaf thought for a bit.

“Does this have something to do with Papa? Everyone went really, really, quiet that day when he asked you to do something.”

He was as perceptive as Anna sometimes.

“Kinda… but it’s complicated.”

“Complicated…” Olaf frowned, recognising that word from a long time ago when it was last used, “complicated like three years ago?”

“No, not that complicated. But… well, related.”

“Related…”

Olaf frowned at the new description.

“It means it has something to do with what happened three years ago.”

“Oh.”

Olaf was really quiet for a while. Elsa patiently waited. She was really nervous too.

“Last time you said it would all make sense when I’m older,” he mumbled in a small voice, “I’m older now and none of this makes sense. Are you and Papa angry at each other again?”

Elsa’s heart panged for how much her disagreements with her father was still affecting Olaf.

“No, we’re not,” Elsa slowly explained, and she looked seriously at Olaf, trying to convey how important he was to her, “and Olaf, I know none of this makes sense now. It isn’t you. I should be explaining it to you properly because you deserve that. But not now. One day I will explain everything to you. I promise you, Olaf, can you trust me on that?”

Olaf grinned, nodding enthusiastically. He studied Elsa’s serious face.

“You know we love you right?” he said, sensing despite his age that Elsa might need to hear that, and Elsa wanted to cry.

“And love is…” he continued.

“… putting someone else’s needs before yours.” They both finished together.

Elsa smiled warmly at him, “Papa used to say that.”

It was classic Father, mixing love with sacrifice and duty. She must have inherited that too, what with her suppressing her own needs for the sake of her presumed responsibility to the family. But despite that, Elsa felt enormous affection for him. Her relationship with her father was always going to be complex. At least he loved Anna and Olaf wholeheartedly. She supposed he loved her the same way too.

“He still says it,” Olaf added, “And now he is out there fighting the virus to collect my medicines.”

Elsa chuckled lightly, that wasn’t quite accurate, but she got what Olaf was trying to say. Perhaps their father would finally put her needs first?

“Olaf, was that the phone?” Elsa heard her mother call.

“Yeah, it’s Elsa!” Olaf shouted back.

Her mother slid beside Olaf into frame.

“Hello, darling. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Hello, Mother.”

Iduna’s face grew with concern, and Elsa knew she picked up on Elsa’s nerves. Agnarr was _Papa_ or _Dad_ or _Father_ almost interchangeably, but Iduna was always _Mum_ unless Elsa was being reprimanded or wanted to please.

“Run along now, Olaf,” she patted the boy on the back and he dashed off.

Her expression softened when she turned back to her daughter. Elsa took a deep breath.

“The reason I - ”

“This is about Honeymaren, isn’t it?”

Elsa felt winded. Her mother knew. She didn’t even ask if she was calling about the Duke’s son or her father. All it took was a video call and her mother saw everything. Were they being that obvious in that call?

Her mother knew her so well. Almost.

“No. Well, yes and no. But this is for me, not Honeymaren.”

Her mother smiled, with what was… pride? Elsa didn’t want to believe the grainy picture on the screen. She pushed on, encouraged anyway.

“I’m gay, Mother.”

She let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Tears brimmed in Iduna’s eyes.

Elsa panicked. _No, no, no…_

But her mother smiled again.

“Elsa, darling, I owe you an apology.”

“Huh-huh?”

“Everything I want to say to you now, I should have said a long time ago. Even before the first time you told us three years ago. I love you. I want you to be exactly who you need to be. I should never have let you doubt that from the beginning. Oh Elsa, I was caught up in everything else that life brought us, but… but, that is no excuse. I am sorry it took so long for me to say this.”

It was like a reflex, and Elsa couldn’t stop herself from breaking down, sobbing. Her mother was crying hard along with her.

“I’m sorry, my dear girl. Gosh, how will you ever forgive me? I should have said something to your father. Anything, I should have been on your side. I must admit that when you and your dad brushed everything aside for Anna and Olaf the last time, I thought I should stay quiet to keep the peace too. But that was wrong. Oh gosh, my darling, I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most. I was weak, and I am so sorry.”

Elsa sniffed, hiccupping.

“… yes, about Dad…”

“Leave him to me. Let me talk to him. Something I should have done a long time ago.”

“I don’t want to disappoint him.”

“You can’t, Elsa. He may not show it all the time, but he is so proud of you. He loves you. He has always wanted the best for you. The duke’s son… he actually spent so long trying to find someone he thought would be good for you.”

Elsa nodded, not quite approving but understanding. It did sound like dad. Her mother continued.

“He doesn’t see how you can love in a way that he can’t… but I see now that that is his problem.”

Iduna sighed.

“I’m glad you have never met your Grandfather Runeard but if you did maybe you would understand more about why he is the way he is. But that is a story for another day. Just know that we love you.”

“What if - ”

“You live your life anyway. Show yourself. Show you are happy. That is all he wants. That is all I want, and I will not let him stop me from letting you be happy. You shouldn’t too.”

“Mum…”

Elsa sobbed, love for her mother overflowing. Love for _herself_ overflowing.

Finally, she was free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When i was planning this fic, i built it around this chapter, which i intended to be an AU-interpretation of two of the greatest scenes in F2, with some Olaf lines thrown in! I hope you guys enjoyed the homage :)
> 
> Since this is based on a fantasy, the quarantine unrealistically ends tomorrow! Now on to Day 14!


	14. Day 14

**Sunday. 11.00am.**

“Spill it, Nattura,” Yelana ordered, after a prolonged silence in the car where Maren was sulking.

“Huh?”

“Something’s up with you. You’ve been so sullen the past couple of days. I know I said no personal talk when we’re working but we’re off duty now. I’m literally driving you home, so you should’ve realised work’s done and you can cut the tough guy act.”

Maren visibly relaxed, already feeling comforted by her superior’s concern. Yelana could be very motherly if she wanted to be.

“You know the girl that moved in with me?”

“The one you have a thing for?”

“You knew?”

Yelana smirked.

“You talked about her all the time. I don’t need to be a detective to figure that out.”

“Well, we broke up.”

“You were together?” Yelana was genuinely surprised, “Huh. Maybe my detecting skills are indeed a little rusty.”

“No, we weren’t. At least I don’t think we were? Which makes the whole situation even more messed up. Having it over before it really even started.”

“Maybe that’s for the better. Knowing you are wrong for each other before feelings could get hurt.”

 _But we are so right_. Maren could feel it.

“What happened?” Yelana asked.

Maren didn’t mind that Yelana pried in her personal life. She looked up to her Sergeant.

“Same thing with John. Parents.”

“Race again?”

“Gender.”

“Oh.”

“Is it really the same thing, though?” Yelana asked, after a beat.

“Well yes! I can’t change who I am!” Maren fumed, the thought running over and over in her head the past two days.

It was bringing up a lot of self-doubt she had put herself through all those years ago.

“I don’t want to change who I am anyway,” she continued defiantly, crossing her arms.

“Not that you could or should, but hey, I wasn’t asking you to,” Yelana explained, voice gentle despite her subordinate’s tantrum, “I’m just wondering, what does _she_ think of this whole situation?”

“What do you mean?”

“With John, you knew that he _himself_ had problems with being with someone who isn’t the same race as him. It had nothing to do with his parents. I think you knew even before he did that it was all an excuse.”

“Oh. I see what you mean.”

Maren was quiet for a long while. She was thinking back to her last conversation with Elsa in the apartment. She did try to find out if Elsa properly entertained the idea of a relationship with Maren. The prospect didn’t look good.

Yelana was taking occasional glances at her even as she continued to drive. She sensed the conclusion that Maren had come to. She sighed.

“I’m sorry, Maren.”

Maren couldn’t help it, she reached up to rub a tear out of her eye. Maren didn’t like to cry. Looking determinedly straight ahead, she tried to think of happier things.

“I promised I would remain friends with her though, at least there’s that.”

“Will you be okay with that?”

“I will be,” she said with conviction, “she’s going through a lot right now with her identity and her parents. I want to be there for her.”

Yelana sighed.

“That’s really big of you Maren,” she praised, “but take care of yourself too. Your wellbeing and your heart are important things too.”

Maren knew she could handle it, she _wanted_ to be Elsa’s friend, but she understood where her commanding officer was coming from.

“Thank you, Yelana.”

Yelana didn’t let Maren use her first name often, but she smiled at that.

-

She was nodding off in the car as they rounded the corner to Maren’s apartment but Maren caught a glimpse of a streak of platinum blonde hair and gasped awake.

“That’s her!” she exclaimed, “what is she doing outside?”

Yelana checked the date on her watch.

“Oh right, Sunday. It’s already day 14, the lockdown is over. Maybe she’s come out to get some fresh air.”

Yelana leaned over, trying to follow Maren’s gaze.

“Which one’s her?”

“The blonde one looking at her phone.”

Yelana frowned when her eyes landed on Elsa and her jaw dropped. Yelana was never shocked by anything.

“Maren, do you know who that is?”

“Uh… that’s my roommate.”

“That’s Elsa Arendelle.”

“Umm, yeah, of course I know that.”

“Detective Nattura, do you know what city we’re in?” Yelana rolled her eyes, pointing at their Arendelle Police Department badges, “her family practically used to own this whole city.”

Maren knew that, she just didn’t see Yelana’s point. The older woman sighed, looking sorry for Maren.

“Everything you’ve said makes so much sense now. We’re Northuldrans, so I can see why you don’t get it. But I moved here a long time ago, way before you were born, when Arendelle still had a King.”

“I thought Elsa’s grandfather was just a figurehead?”

“But a King nonetheless. Runeard was a very unsympathetic, ruthless man. With the little power he had he managed to cause so much trouble, starting fights against any and every movement Arendellians tried to start to grant rights to anybody who wasn’t like him. You should have seen the protests. I was a rookie cop then, and I remember.”

“Oh…”

Maren’s head reeled, trying to imagine what that must mean in terms of Elsa’s upbringing.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is,” Yelana smiled kindly at her, “I think we can both see how Elsa’s family would be difficult. How she would struggle to face them. We’ll need to cut her some slack.”

Maren nodded. Yelana placed a comforting arm on her shoulder, looking warmly into Maren’s eyes, “And I’m so proud of you for wanting to be there for her.”

-

Maren and Yelana drove right up to Elsa, who didn’t seem to notice, looking intently at her phone.

Yelana sounded the siren once and Elsa jumped about a foot in the air. Maren and Yelana couldn’t help but chuckle. She got out of the car.

“Maren!” Elsa gasped.

“Happy End-Of-Lockdown Day,” Maren said, smiling as she leant against the cop car.

Elsa didn’t smile back, looking extremely nervous. Maren realised she shouldn’t be so happy, after all they were still midway through a very serious conversation. But she couldn’t help it. Yelana had made her feel more confident about herself, about her strength in facing whatever came their way, and she just really liked seeing Elsa again after two days.

“Right, yes, I left as soon as I saw the news on the TV,” Elsa explained, she blushed and held up her phone to Maren to reveal a map, “I was making my way to the precinct actually.”

“Oh?”

“I want to talk to you.”

Elsa looked seriously at Maren. Maren couldn’t read if Elsa wanted to say good things or bad things. She was really practised at hiding her emotions. Maren swallowed.

“Honeymaren,” Elsa began, taking a deep breath and facing her squarely, “You were right. About everything. I shouldn’t be ashamed about this thing between us. I shouldn’t be ashamed about who I am. Not anymore. And it feels really, really good not to be.”

She reached out to clasp both of Maren’s hands in hers, “I want to be with you. Back there in our apartment, and here, outside, in the open. Anywhere.”

Maren’s heart swelled, tears filling her eyes as her smile broadened into a grin. She heard every word but was struggling to believe her ears.

“I want to be with you too, Elsa,” she choked out.

And with that she pulled Elsa down into her arms, kissing her with wild abandon. Not caring that her boss was watching, not caring that all along the street people were starting to come out of their houses after the lockdown, not caring that Elsa was now pushing her firmly up against a police-car that would have once belonged to a most disapproving grandfather.

Several people wolf-whistled, the outdoors suddenly more interesting than it had been in days, and Elsa laughed into Maren’s mouth, not a shred of shame in her being.

“Gosh, you two,” Yelana complained after winding down a window, “get a room.”

“That’s exactly what we did, Sarge, that’s exactly what we did.”

**-The End-**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a ride! As some of you may know, from my reply to a question posed by Mags_me in chapter 11, this is the first fanfic I have ever posted. While I have been dabbling in writing fanfic for a while now, I never had the courage to post them as they've always been so personal. 
> 
> But all of you have been so welcoming and generous with your reviews and I am very encouraged! I always marvel at how you guys can be so witty and hilarious and warm with your words (and Chuck_Vic_Norris’s gifs). When the real world is so confusing right now, it really provided me with a sense of comfort 😊
> 
> So, since the lockdown isn’t ending anytime soon, would you continue reading them if I continued this as a series? I have become very attached to this alternate universe, the characters, and of course, the community of readers (you guys!)
> 
> Currently, I am drawing up a plot timeline for a next instalment. The challenge? Pull off a slowburn for an established couple. What? How does that work? Don’t know the details, but I have an idea that I hope is frustrating enough (MUAHAHA) and plan to figure it out as I go along. Some of you might be able to guess the idea when you see the title below, but it’s okay, slowburns and plot surprises are kinda mutually exclusive. 
> 
> Should it happen, I’m calling it the “The Engagement Log”: 12 chapters, covering 12 months chronicling their leadup to getting engaged. Will be alternating POVs again, but not in real-time for obvious reasons. I’m still trying to decide on a posting schedule.
> 
> But whether The Engagement Log happens or not, I just want to say that I have had so much fun these past 2 weeks, thank you for coming along on the journey too, and for the wonderful words of encouragement!  
> Be like Elsa and Honeymaren: take care, look out for others, and stay at home!
> 
> Lots of love,  
> Blackthorn
> 
> P.S. Please stay tuned for an epilogue tomorrow!


	15. Epilogue: 1 Month Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated **Explicit.**
> 
> _"I did promise myself though, that the person I finally end up with, is going to have to be proud of me.”_
> 
> _Elsa dipped her neck down to catch her eyes, making sure she was looking deeply into her blue ones, before she said, completely earnestly, “they absolutely should be.”_
> 
> \- Chapter 4

**1 month later.**

[Maren’s POV]

The Arendelle sisters had organised a little game night in Elsa’s and Honeymaren’s apartment to celebrate life going back to normal. Kristoff, Ryder and Moana were huddled up in the living room, flipping through the channels as they waited for Elsa and Anna to be back from Elsa’s room with the board games. Unfortunately, Maren couldn’t join them, as she was called in at the last minute to work an undercover stakeout. While it was just going to be on the street downstairs from the apartment, she was not going to be able to come up mid-case and felt a little sore about missing out on all the fun.

The doorbell rang and Maren went to get it. Her partner, Eugene, leaned against the doorframe, his characteristic smoulder fixed on his face. Maren rolled her eyes.

“Fitzherbert.”

“ _Mrs Rider.”_

“Eww,” her brother complained from inside the flat.

“Yeah, that’s not going to work,” Maren agreed.

“What? You always thought Flynn Rider was a great cover name.”

“My brother’s name is Ryder.”

“Okay, you can be Mrs Flynn then.”

Maren nodded at her cover name and stepped aside to let him in. She started to introduce everyone to her partner.

“And this is said brother, and his girlfriend Moana and - ”

“No way! Kristoff!” Eugene interrupted, looking extremely surprised and pleased, “what are you doing here?”

“Wait, is that…?” came Anna’s voice from afar.

The sisters dashed out from the hallway.

“Eugene! What?”

“Anna? Elsa? Whaaat…?”

The four of them started embracing each other like old friends.

“Wait, what am I missing here?” Maren asked, confused.

“You didn’t tell me you were bunking up with one of Blondie’s cousins, Nattura.”

“How am I supposed to know who your wife’s cousins are?” she retorted, “you haven’t even given me a chance to meet her yet.”

Anna gasped at a sudden realisation.

“We should have Rapunzel over! Is she doing anything tonight? We’re having a game night now. After you’re done with your stakeout we can go on a double date.”

“Triple,” Elsa added confidently, making Maren smile.

“Quadruple,” Ryder called.

“Oh, wow. Awesome. Okay, let me text her now,” Eugene remarked, pulling out his phone.

Elsa pulled Maren away from the commotion.

“So… your partner is the legendary Flynn Rider. What a coincidence.”

That made Maren wonder how much her partner used his fake name outside of his work life for his wife’s cousin to know it. He was so ridiculous.

“Just Flynn tonight. I’m not going to be Mrs _Ryder_. Bleargh,” she shuddered.

Elsa looked confused. Maren realised she didn’t explain her cover fully.

“We’re going undercover as husband and wife tonight,” she explained sheepishly.

She didn’t know how Elsa was going to take that, but it was a part of her job.

“Oh,” Elsa remarked, looking genuinely unbothered.

They both watched as Eugene introduced himself to Ryder and Moana, him lapsing into his swashbuckling mannerisms. Maren noticed he tended to do that when he was meeting new people to mask his shyness.

Even Maren had to admit he could be really charismatic, but Elsa merely laughed as he swaggered about and shrugged, unaffected, “good luck with that.”

She was so gay.

“Blondie said she can be here in about half an hour,” Eugene commented, looking at his phone and then stowing it away and turning back to Maren, smirking, “she’s really excited to meet her dear cousin’s girlfriend. Apparently, she’s heard a lot about you.”

Maren turned to Elsa, properly surprised. She never expected Elsa to be so comfortable with being open about their relationship. Elsa simply smiled, pink in the cheeks.

“But too bad she’s just gonna have to wait her turn,” Eugene swung an arm over Maren’s shoulder, “Ready, my love?”

Maren laughed. Eugene loved to fool around at work, but he meant well and was actually a very competent partner. Anna stared at the two of them, a cheeky grin on her face.

“Mr and Mrs Flynn,” she tried the names out for size, “I never thought I’d say it, but you two actually look kinda good together. Convincing, at least.”

“Hey, what do you expect?” Maren pretended to be miffed, “we’re Arendelle’s Finest. We do our job.”

She squeezed Eugene around his waist. Everyone laughed.

“I guess we should get going,” she added, as they turned to head back to the main door.

“Maren, wait,” she felt a hand tug on her arm, before she was pulled out of her partner’s embrace.

“Huh?”

In a flash, she was pulled right up against Elsa, as the blonde dipped down and gave her a long, hard, kiss. Maren realised Elsa wasn’t jealous… until Anna’s words. She trusted Maren, but she wanted the others to see _she_ and Maren looked _better_ together. It was hardly appropriate with so many people staring, but Maren didn’t care, as she wrapped her arms around Elsa. She liked that Elsa didn’t care too. She had come a long way.

“Okay, okay, Elsa, I geddit,” Eugene chuckled, his voice causing them to break apart, he had his hands up in surrender, “I will have her home by eight. Don’t worry.”

“Woah, Maren, sorry I shouldn’t have said that, I didn’t know she was so possessive.”

“Shut up, Anna,” Elsa complained.

-

[Elsa’s POV]

“Reindeer! Stag! Elk!”

“Come on sweetie, not everything is a four-legged mammal!”

Moana was jabbing at the board with her marker, exasperated as Ryder tugged at his hair, squinting at her drawing.

“No talking!” Anna and Kristoff snapped.

They were divided into three teams, and with the couples paired up, Rapunzel and Elsa ended up in the same team. As it was Pictionary, the painter-architect pair was dominating, and had not even bothered to chime in with chiding Moana for accidentally talking.

The timer pinged and Moana sighed.

“It was a rhinoceros beetle, Ry.”

“What???”

Ryder scrambled for the answer slip in Moana’s hand, before incredulously launching off into a lecture on the differences between mammalian and insect anatomy. Elsa and Rapunzel chuckled. Anna folded her arms at them.

“I don’t think Elsa and Rapunzel should get to choose the game,” she complained.

“Hey, you four got to choose the topic and decided unanimously on animals. Don’t blame us if your vet boyfriends put in some really complicated species in the answer bowl. Everyone has to draw them,” Elsa countered.

“You’re up,” Ryder grumbled, handing the bowl with the answer slips to Kristoff, “thanks for submitting _Dynastinae_ as one of the answers, you jerk.”

Rapunzel turned to Elsa.

“You said you wanted to show me one of the commissions you were working on?”

“Oh yes. Wanted some advice on a placement of an outdoor mural,” Elsa replied, “Now?”

They heard Kristoff groan after fishing out a slip of paper and seeing what was written on it.

“Why not? These four are playing for silver anyway,” Rapunzel whispered.

They slipped away to Elsa’s bedroom. As Elsa was sifting through various sketches on her work desk, Rapunzel was looking out her bedroom window.

“Hey, look! The Flynns are back to patrolling this street!” she exclaimed excitedly.

Elsa hurried over to Rapunzel’s side and looked out. Indeed, Eugene and Maren had just rounded a corner, and they were now walking leisurely down the street just outside Elsa’s window, holding hands.

“Huh.” Elsa remarked.

Rapunzel was studying Elsa closely.

“You’re not jealous, are you?”

“No, of course I’m not,” Elsa replied honestly, “It just feels a little weird.”

“I get what you mean, you’ll get used to it though,” Rapunzel explained, “there are worse things to worry about.”

“Yeah?” Elsa turned to her, concerned.

Rapunzel sighed.

“Sometimes Eugene comes back pretty banged up.”

“Oh.”

Elsa had never actually thought about how dangerous being a cop was for Honeymaren. She didn’t know how she would cope if she found out Maren had injured herself in the line of duty. But this was Maren’s job, and Elsa knew Maren loved it. Elsa was going to be supportive, like how Maren always was with her.

“What do you do then?” Elsa asked.

“You do your best to be there for them. Help them with their recovery. Be gentle. That sort of thing.”

Elsa nodded, determined to always be there for Maren. They both turned to look back down at the fake couple on the street.

At that moment, a large man in a black shirt and black jeans walked by on the street across. He must have caught the detectives staring for he paused in his tracks. In a flash, Maren pushed Eugene up against a lamppost and snogged him hard. The man shook his head in disgust and stalked off.

“Phew,” Rapunzel let out a sigh of relief, “that was close.”

She seemed totally unaffected by the fact that she had just witnessed another woman pressed up against her husband. Elsa wished she was as easygoing as her cousin. She trusted Maren wholeheartedly, but the whole scene was just very strange. It tugged at something possessive within her.

With a sly smirk, she decided it was probably a good time to serve Maren a reminder of who she really belonged to.

“Excuse me,” she said to Rapunzel, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

-

[Maren’s POV]

“Two o’clock,” Maren murmured under her breath, eyes on the man across the street coming towards them, “shady looking dude.”

“Shit, that’s one of Stabbington’s men. Look at the tattoo,” Eugene murmured back, “That belongs to a Corona gang. What are they doing in Arendelle?”

Maren remembered that Eugene had a complicated past in Corona before he became a cop. The burly man suddenly paused, turning to look at them. Maren worried if he recognised her partner. Acting on protective instinct, she turned Eugene away from the man, throwing herself on him and kissing him hard on the lips to preserve their cover. Eugene understood her cues and responded accordingly. Eventually, the man moved on, evidently convinced that they were just an oblivious couple walking down the street. They broke apart and continued walking, hand in hand.

“Quick thinking,” Eugene remarked.

They both fell silent after that, feeling slightly guilty towards their respective real partners. Maren’s phone pinged with a notification. Fishing it out, she saw it was a personal snapchat from Elsa. Not thinking much of it, she opened it.

 _Saw you through the window. Behave._ The message read.

A photo accompanied and Maren gasped at that, hurriedly stuffing her phone back into her pocket before Eugene could catch a glimpse of the suggestive shot.

 _Fuck_ , _Elsa_ , _Fuck_.

“What’s up?” Eugene asked, noticing that Maren had turned beet red.

“Nothing,” Maren cleared her throat, eyes back to scanning the streets, “girlfriend’s just being…”

A tease? Bad? Naughty? Every description was just going to give Elsa away.

“A bitch,” she finished, peeved that Elsa was making Maren rack her brain to cover for her.

But still Eugene smiled knowingly.

“Hey, it’s always the quiet ones,” he winked.

“She is going to pay though,” she replied.

 _Oh, Elsa is so going to pay_. Later. Now she had to work.

Focusing on the task at hand, Maren nudged Eugene in the direction she wanted them to go. They rounded a corner off the street into an alley, only to come face to face with the brute from earlier.

“Flynn Rider,” he growled, “thought it was you. Long time no see. What happened to the blonde squeeze?”

“Who, now?” Eugene began, stepping between Maren and the large man, an arm on hers to push her back, “I think there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding.”

“Yeah? Maybe you might wanna come with me to _clarify_ things with the Stabbington Brothers?”

The man drew out a metal pipe from one of his large pockets and lunged at them, aiming at Eugene’s head. Eugene raised his arms to shield himself, but Maren was quicker, pulling him down and covering him with her form. The pipe struck her back between her shoulders and she cried out. She stumbled off Eugene.

“HEY!” Eugene yelled, lauching himself at the large man.

Maren could hear a few punches being thrown as the large man grunted in pain. By the time she got up again, Eugene had the man in a stranglehold under his arm. Maren pulled out her taser and stunned him. Eventually, the man collapsed on the floor.

“Shit,” Eugene swore, “Sorry, Nattura. You okay?”

“Yeah,” she croaked out, even as her back screamed as she rolled her shoulders.

“I’m calling Yelana for backup. Our cover’s blown, gotta call this whole thing off.”

-

[Elsa’s POV]

Keys jingled in the lock on the front door before it swung open, revealing the two detectives, although not as chipper as they were before they left.

Elsa rounded on them.

“Eugene. You said you will have her home by eight,” Elsa looked at her watch, “it is now… eight-o-three. Oh.”

It felt like forever. Elsa felt embarrassed by how eager she was.

The two detectives exchanged a glance, and Elsa caught Maren shaking her head warningly at Eugene. Eugene turned to the rest of them at that, a false smile on his face.

“Sorry for the delay my dear cousin-in-law,” he began breezily, “but here you go. She’s all yours now, uh, good as new.”

That was suspicious. She saw that Rapunzel picked up on that too, for she was now looking her husband up and down with concern, as though checking for physical signs that anything was wrong. Elsa turned to Maren and did the same. She looked fine. No bruises, no scrapes.

“Awesome, now that everyone’s back,” Anna announced, not noticing that anything was amiss, “shall we head out to dinner?”

Dinner was a jolly affair, although Eugene was quieter than usual. Elsa couldn’t think too much of it, preoccupied with picking up if anything was wrong with Maren. Aside from looking a little tired, Maren was her normal self, laughing and chatting merrily with the rest. Except once when Elsa ran a hand down Maren’s back and she flinched away. Elsa wondered if her joke message went too far and Maren was upset that Elsa had bothered her at work. She figured she would get to the bottom of it with Maren later.

Elsa and Maren stumbled into the apartment, both a little tipsy from the alcohol they had at dinner. She didn’t have to wonder long if Maren was mad at her, for the moment the door closed behind them, Maren rounded on her, trapping her between her body and the wall. She leaned in for a demanding kiss, stealing away Elsa’s question from between her lips. Maren worked on Elsa’s blouse, breaking the kiss to help Elsa out of it.

“Someone’s been awfully distracting, haven’t they?” Maren asked, as she threw aside Elsa’s top.

Elsa gulped. This was simultaneously not and exactly what she had in mind when she sent Maren the picture. She had expected to force Maren to make amends for her imagined transgressions outside with her partner just now, but now with Maren staring at her so hungrily, she was perfectly content with being made to pay for being a tease.

Maren was all over her again, lips burning a trail down her chest. She snaked a hand behind Elsa, unclasping her bra with practised ease.

“Do you know what happens to civilians who interfere with our duty to the city?” she whispered dangerously, before pulling Elsa’s bra between her teeth and dragging it off her.

“My city, Maren,” Elsa panted, pulling Maren back to her roughly by the lapels of her leather jacket, “I was almost Queen of Arendelle. I can do whatever I want.”

Elsa began kissing along Maren’s neck.

“ _Almost,_ ” Maren choked out, “keyword, _almost._ ”

Elsa bit down and sucked hard against Maren’s skin at her defiance.

“Ahh!” Maren exclaimed.

“Mine,” Elsa growled, running a tongue over the new lovebite to soothe it, “not the city this time. _You._ Pray you remember that when you’re out there.”

By now they had tumbled and tripped their way in each other’s arms to Elsa’s bedroom, which they now shared.

Maren pushed Elsa down onto the bed, with Elsa pulling her down with her, and the both of them shuffled up the bed, their lips still joined. Elsa couldn’t remember how but on the way here Maren had somehow managed to remove the rest of Elsa’s clothing. She cursed, as Maren was still fully dressed in her distraction.

Seeking to rectify that as soon as possible, she reached up to tug Maren’s jacket off her. As she was pulling the jacket off Maren’s arms, she didn’t see Maren slip her hand into the inner pocket of her jacket before it was too late. In a series of quick, experienced manoeuvres, Maren clasped her hand around both of Elsa’s wrists, bringing them together up to the headboard, and with a flash of light reflecting off metal, Elsa found herself handcuffed to the bed.

“Fuck, Maren.”

Maren studied Elsa’s face carefully to see if she had gone too far, but she must have seen only desire for she grinned wickedly, leaning down to whisper in Elsa’s ear.

“Safeword’s ‘snowflake’, okay?”

Elsa moaned, nodding, going almost wild with the need to touch Maren now that she was unable to. She turned her head to capture Maren’s lips again but Maren danced away pretending she didn’t notice. She set off on her own agenda, kissing and licking and nipping down Elsa’s chest and torso, paying attention to all the spots she knew Elsa loved. Reaching her navel, Maren placed a tender kiss just below her belly button, looking up at Elsa with eyes full of promise. Closing her eyes in anticipation, Elsa groaned in frustration when Maren skipped down to her thigh and continued to work downwards.

Her hands jerked against her bonds, as she had forgotten the cuffs were there and wanted to pull Maren back up to where she wanted Maren’s mouth most. The sharp reminder of the presence of the cuffs only caused Elsa’s desire to pool even more between her legs. Maren laughed against Elsa’s skin at that. The cruel, cruel, woman.

Maren took her sweet time working her way down one of Elsa’s legs and up again, working Elsa into a frenzy. She was now up along Elsa’s inner thigh, deliciously close and Elsa parted her legs to grant her more access. Biting lightly against her skin, Maren turned her head and nipped against her other thigh. One kiss further down and Elsa knew where Maren was going.

“No, no, no, no, no” she pleaded, “stay.”

She wrapped her legs firmly around Maren’s head to hold her in place.

“Now, now, Elsa,” she scolded lightly, resting her chin against her navel and looking up at her, “you don’t want me to have to tie your ankles down too, do you?”

Elsa threw her head back and groaned. Her feet slammed back down beside her as she surrendered. However, if Maren was going to take her time again, Elsa might as well enjoy the view.

“Fine. But clothes. off. now.” Elsa demanded, knowing her words were almost a whisper, but clear and cutting enough for Maren to hear every word.

She knew the dizzying shifts in power were as intoxicating to Maren as it was to her.

“Yes Ma’am,” Maren conceded, getting up.

She peeled each item of clothing off tantalisingly, before crawling back up to Elsa on the bed. Elsa was starting to regret her demand, as Maren was even more irresistible now. Maren returned to her original position between Elsa’s legs, bending down to give Elsa’s thigh a lick. Elsa gasped at the sight of Maren’s back before her. She squirmed away from Maren.

“Oh my gosh, Maren!”

Mistaking Elsa’s alarm for desire, Maren doubled down, grasping Elsa’s knees to hold her in place.

“I could start over you know,” Maren warned.

“Snowflake!” Elsa cried out, “Snowflake!”

-

[Maren’s POV]

 _Shit._ Elsa just used the safeword. Maren hurriedly jumped off Elsa, feeling panicked. _Shit, shit_. Did she just lose the trust of the woman that meant the world to her? She rummaged through her jacket on the floor in a hurry, clambering up as soon as her fingers found the keys to unlock the cuffs from Elsa’s wrist.

“Elsa, I’m so sorry,” she began, “are you alri-”

“Dammit, Maren! What the hell is this?”

Elsa was preoccupied with something else and pulled Maren down to sit on the bed as soon as her hands were free. Hands firmly on her shoulder, she turned Maren so that her back was now facing Elsa. Elsa gasped from behind her.

Maren inwardly groaned. In the heat of the moment she had forgotten about her injury. There was likely a bruise where the thug hit her by now. She was going to bring that up with Elsa, as Eugene had advised her, but it seemed like such a downer earlier when all she had wanted the whole night was Elsa.

She winced as Elsa ran a tentative finger down her bruise.

“Sorry,” Elsa withdrew quickly, “Gosh, Maren, what happened?”

“Is… is it bad?”

“It’s a freaking huge bruise!” Elsa exclaimed, voice wavering.

“Right, well,” Maren withdrew from Elsa, hating how her injury was affecting Elsa, “I don’t feel anything if you don’t touch it, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.”

She was standing up now, turning her back away from Elsa, feeling very self-conscious. Elsa stood too, trying to keep Maren’s back in her line of vision. Before Elsa could move to stand behind Maren, Maren wrapped her arms around Elsa, pulling her to her front.

“Now, where were we?” she tried.

“Maren,” Elsa said sternly, hands stilling her advances.

Maren let her head fall on Elsa’s shoulder, groaning.

“It’s nothing! Part of the job, okay?”

“Would you at least tell me what happened?” Elsa asked tenderly, despite Maren having just snapped at her.

Her gentle tone left Maren no choice but to open up. Extricating herself from the blonde’s arms, she walked over to the floor-length mirror.

“A Corona gang member recognised Eugene. There was a bit of an altercation. I got hit on the back. Nothing more, I promise.”

She turned so her back was facing the mirror, and lifted her plait up so she could see the bruise. Turning her head round to survey the damage in the mirror, she cursed. It really did look worse than it felt. No wonder Elsa was worried.

“Great, just great. And I wanted to wear that backless dress to your work gala thing this weekend to match your strapless one,” Maren grumbled, trying to lighten the mood, “now I got to put on a fucking cardigan? All those back workouts down the drain.”

Elsa ignored her poor attempt at humour, coming over to study the bruise closely. Maren turned around and finally let her, too afraid to face her wrath again.

“This needs to be looked at. Professionally.”

“You’re not serious, are you?”

Elsa was starting to sound like Yelana. Maren attempted a laugh. Elsa was unimpressed.

“I mean it, Honey.”

Maren sighed. How could she refuse when Elsa used that nickname? Finally, she gave Elsa a small nod. Elsa smiled back, saying nothing more about her work accident, now that all that was needed to be said has been said. She had expected Elsa to go into a whole spiel about how detective work was too dangerous, and was ready to argue back, but perhaps she was not giving Elsa enough credit on how supportive she could be. It was refreshing to have a quiet pillar of support like her.

Maren was fully facing the mirror now, and Elsa wrapped her arms around her waist from behind. The feeling of Elsa’s naked form pressed up against her bare skin was exquisite. Elsa avoided her bruise and rested her chin on Maren’s shoulder, meeting her eyes in the mirror. Maren couldn’t help but marvel at the image of how well they fit together.

“We could go to the clinic tomorrow,” Elsa offered.

“No good,” Maren reminded her, “you’re supposed to take Olaf to lunch tomorrow after his medical checkup. Your parents will be with him.”

“Exactly,” Elsa said, looking at Maren completely seriously, “we’ll all be at the clinic already anyway.”

Maren turned in Elsa’s arm to look at her properly.

“You’re sure about this?”

She wasn’t asking about the doctor’s consult for her bruise. Elsa understood.

“It’s time for them to meet you, Maren. I’ve already given them a whole month to sort out their opinions about my sexuality.”

“Don’t do this for me, okay? I want you to be completely comfortable with it. I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

Elsa smiled at Maren’s concern.

“I can’t be. Honeymaren, I’m so proud to be with you, nothing anybody says can hurt me.”

Maren felt love for this woman flood her at those words, and she felt herself tear at the overwhelming emotions. Elsa returned her watery smile, leaning her forehead against hers.

“This is cute,” Elsa remarked, in her position her eyes caught on the lovebite she gave Maren earlier, and she ran a finger across it, causing Maren to gasp softly. Elsa smiled to herself.

_The sadistic girl._

“Wear something with a collar tomorrow,” Elsa instructed, “as much as I am proud of us, I don’t want to give my father a heart attack.”

Maren chuckled.

“Oh, so now bruises from work are to be scrutinised but marks from you are to be hidden?”

Elsa pulled Maren flushed against her possessively, sucking against the hickey again, causing it to burn.

“I can do whatever I want to you, remember?” she murmured against her skin, “you’re mine.”

Maren moaned and dragged Elsa down to the bed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that the fic is done, I don't feel nervous about posting it anymore, so it is now public! (as opposed to registered user-only accessibility) To the new readers, welcome, and I assume you are glad you didn't have to suffer the a-chapter-a-day slowburn agony ><
> 
> To the old readers, thanks for your wonderful words in the final chapter posted yesterday! I am truly touched <3  
> This epilogue wouldn't have materialised if I hadn't posted the fic in the first place and was motivated to push myself further, so I am very glad I did! 
> 
> After writing about two people who only have each other to talk to for 14 days, it was very, very fun to write with an expanded universe of characters to play with :D  
> I wanted to show how far they've come, and throw in a little bit of all my favourite bits from the fic: fluff/romance/shameless smut between two switches/competitive banter/serious conversations/and of course, the bedrock of a frustrating mutualpining-slowburn, alternating POVs!
> 
> 'til next time,  
> Blackthorn


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